Ukraine Chronicles #1

Stories from a Country at War.

War debris -including Smerch rocket casing- at the Church of the Most Holy Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, Lviv Ukraine

I’m currently writing this missive in Lviv, Ukraine. I don’t want to bonk you too hard with the ole in media res, so let me back up to the beginning and explain why I’m here and what I’m doing. To make it simple and short, I have American expat veteran friends in Ukraine. They asked for medical supplies because the country is running low due to the ongoing Russian invasion, so I held a fundraiser, sourced some medical gear (big shout out to Shawn at Tactical Medic in Mesa AZ) and packed three bag’s worth with the intention of hand-carrying them across the border, then doing some on-the-ground reporting from Ukraine. I finally made it in country, but not without a fair bit of drama.

Border at Medyka. I talked the Foreign Legion into giving me a ride to meet my contact.

Erin Smith ⚓️ @erinsmithSF

In Ukraine now, the border is a madhouse:

If you’d like to hear my quick first (exhausted) podcast Dispatch from Warsaw talking about lost bags and transportation complications, click here:

Daily Dispatch Ukraine edition #1

My second (freezing!) podcast Dispatch from Lviv, talking about the border crossing situation, getting shaken down by soldiers for medical gear, and first impressions, click here:

Daily Dispatch Ukraine edition #2

I’ve got some interviews coming up today, including one with a young man and his experiences with the conflict in his hometown of Kharkiv, as well as a military Chaplain.

Making new friends at the Cat Cafe in Lviv

I talked my friend Nancy Rommelmann into coming for a few days, I arranged this riveting interview with one of my American expat friends stuck in Dnipro:

Nancy Rommelmann @NancyRomm

My first “Dispatch from Ukraine” just went live at @reason: One man decides between fight or flight in Dnipro, Ukraine, as told to @NancyRomm reason.com/2022/03/06/dis… via @reason

reason.comDispatch From Ukraine: ‘Let’s Go. Let’s Not Go.’A New Orleans native tells <em>Reason</em> what it’s like under siege in his adoptive home of Dnipro, Ukraine.

If you appreciate my work here, feel free to join the patreon below or donate to my cashapp ($eesmith4) or GiveSendGo campaign. Thank you, and I look forward to sharing more stories with you very soon!

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