He traveled to Ukraine for love, saw the ravages of war
In the evenings, I heard the air raid siren and received risk alerts from Telegram groups and Ukrainian government apps. Fear took hold of me. After a few minutes, I heard heavy gunfire coming from the streets, followed by a loud explosion we later found out was from a missile.
- 1 year ago
March 30, 2023
Lucas Froufé poses in Kyiv, Ukraine. He travelled there to meet the woman he fell in love with in Spain. | Courtesy of Lucas Froufé
KYIV, Ukraine — On September 7, during a trip to Sevilla, I met a wonderful woman from Ukraine. We spent the entire trip together and promised to meet again. Not long after, I took a flight to Kyiv to be with her. I never visited a country at war before and could not be prepared for the life-changing adventure in front of me.
From the moment I laid eyes on her, I felt a connection
One day, I received a wedding invitation from my cousin. With the ceremony taking place on September 10, I decided to fly there a few days early to surprise them. It felt like a great opportunity to spend time together since we live so far apart.
Once in Sevilla, we went to the hotel to drop off my luggage. The flight exhausted me, and I wanted to rest. I went down to the lobby to check-in. At that moment, I saw the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She stood near the desk, and our eyes met instantly. She seemed so familiar to me, as though we had always known each other.
We spent the next few days together, talking for hours. Immediately, we shared much in common. It felt unreal. After my cousin’s wedding, I prolonged my stay to be with her. I knew I had to return home eventually, but the thought of leaving her saddened me. We promised to stay in touch.
Shortly after, I bought a ticket to go see her in Ukraine. My relatives questioned my actions and suggested I was moving too fast, but I had never felt anything like this before. Everyone around me discouraged me from flying there. I knew the risks involved in going to a country in the midst of a war. Still, my motivation to meet her again pushed me forward.
I witnessed the suffering of the people in Ukraine
When my travel date finally arrived, I felt extremely nervous. My heart beat quickened throughout the day. The journey felt endless. In the plane, some passengers thought I was American, and asked me if I was going to fight on the frontlines. Everyone looked so concerned about the ongoing situation in Ukraine and war became the only topic of discussion the entire flight. Once we landed, I took a train to Kyiv, where she lived. Upon arrival, I spotted her on the train platform. When our eyes met, our faces lit up immediately. I ran to embrace her, and time felt frozen.
I still had not processed where I stood, and everything felt strange to me. As the days passed, the moments I shared with her became overshadowed by the constant stress of hearing sirens every day. The people looked tense every time an alarm went off. I could see the suffering in their faces. They just wanted the war to be over.
We experienced power outages several times a day and spent hours in the dark. The silence weighed on us. Every now and then during the day, when the lights came back on, things seemed to return to normal for a moment. It felt less scary knowing we were in this together, her and I. It felt as though we protected each other.
I still hear the sirens and gunshots in my head
During my stay, I visited places once occupied by Russian troops and later recovered by Ukraine, such as Borodyanka, an urban settlement left in ruins after the war. I also traveled to the city of Bucha, a major city whose people suffered a massacre at the hands of Russian troops during the war. Seeing all the streets and buildings destroyed changed me. It broke my heart and soul to think these were once cities full of life, now reduced to rubble.
Toward the end of my stay, on November 15, Russian troops launched an attack on the city where we resided. In the evenings, I heard the air raid siren and received risk alerts from Telegram groups and Ukrainian government apps. Fear took hold of me.
After a few minutes, I heard heavy gunfire coming from the streets, followed by a loud explosion we later found out was from a missile. It impacted a residential area near the city center. I can still hear the sounds of gunfire when I close my eyes. When I think of what others have suffered through, I feel lucky. I cannot begin to fathom what that must be like, to live in constant fear that your home or loved ones will perish. My life changed after that trip.
When I returned to Spain, I got more involved in the news and came up with initiatives to raise awareness. I also collected letters from elementary schools in my area intended for Ukrainian children, along with other goods to send over. It makes me feel closer to them. Many people lost family members and their homes, and though it is a small gesture, I hope it can provide some comfort.
