How this Toronto woman's trip home to Ukraine turned into an evacuation mission

When Anastasiia Parfonova boarded a plane in Toronto on Feb. 23, she didn't expect she'd soon be making plans to help some of her family flee the country they'd always called home.

It was supposed to be a trip home for her to get treatment for a knee injury and to visit relatives. That night, Russian President Vladimir Putin commenced what he called a special military operation in Ukraine — an operation that is now a full-on invasion.

"When everything started, I was literally waiting for my plane to take off," said the 25-year old, who was in disbelief over the violence. She learned she wouldn't be able to continue with her connection in Warsaw to Odessa.

"So, I had an option to cancel my flight and go back to my house in Toronto or go to Ukraine. So, I picked the second option." 

Parfonova spent a few days in Krakow before finally making it to her family in Odessa.

"I didn't tell them, I just bought a ticket … I got to the train station. I called them and I was like, 'OK, mom, I'm going to be in Ukraine tomorrow morning, so just be ready,'" said Parfonova.

Russia has widened its military offensive in Ukraine, striking near airports in the west of the country for the first time as troops kept up pressure on the capital, Kyiv.  New satellite photos, meanwhile, appeared to show a massive convoy outside the Ukrainian capital had fanned out into nearby towns and forests. The photos emerged amid more international efforts to isolate and sanction Russia.

Parfonova managed to get her mother and teenage sister out of Odessa to Bucharest where they remain. Like many Ukrainians who have fled the country, they are in limbo, unsure of what the future holds. Parfonova is a permanent resident in Canada — meaning she can return to Toronto — but she's waiting on more information about how she could get expedited visas for her family.

Those in the local Ukrainian community in Canada say they've been flooded with requests and offers to help refugees, but are also awaiting more details from the federal government on how they can help Ukrainians come to Canada.

Getting out

Parfonova's plane landed in Warsaw, then she travelled to Krakow where she stayed with friends and volunteered helping refugees.

A week later, she was able to get to Odessa by train, saying she was one of maybe five people onboard.

"I didn't care what was going to happen next, if I'm safe or not safe … I just wanted to see them to make sure [my family] was all right," she said.

Parfonova convinced her mother — who was reluctant to leave — to get out of the country with her 15-year-old sister. 

Parfonova described her 80-year-old grandmother as a child of war, who lived through World War II, and has no desire to leave Odessa. Since her father is under 60, he must stay in the country to fight as needed. 

"I saw my dad. I saw my grandma for like 20 minutes, and then we left for Izmail, which was like four hours drive from us. And then we went to Romania after that." 

When it came to leaving Ukraine, Parfonova said the crowds weren't as chaotic as they've been in recent weeks, since most people have already left. They took a taxi from the city of Izmail to the Romanian border, then crossed into Romania via ferry. 

Arriving on International Women's Day, she said they were welcomed with flowers and chocolate by Romanian volunteers.

Parfonova has been documenting the journey on her Instagram page as a way to show people outside Ukraine what's happening. 

She said it's also to show her peers they're not alone.

"I just decided that this is going to show some support to my friends that they're not alone and that I experience the kind of emotions, too," said Parfonova.

Coming to Canada

Parfonova says the past few weeks have been difficult — constantly checking the news for updates, sleeping on the floor or couches, not having clean clothes or a warm shower, but she's grateful.

"I can't complain about those things because I'm alive, I'm safe. I'm with my family, and so many of my friends don't even have that."

The federal government has announced different streams to bring Ukranian refugees to Canada. For those who want to come here temporarily, it's creating a new visa category that will allow an unlimited number of Ukrainians to come to Canada to live, work or study for up to two years.

It also plans to create a family reunification program that would allow families to sponsor relatives and expedite the permanent residence application process.

Advocates — like Ihor Michalchyshyn, executive director of the National Ukrainian Canadian Congress — say they're still waiting for more information on those programs, including help for those arriving.

Michalchyshyn said their organization is being flooded with offers to help incoming refugees, but they're unclear on exactly what the government plans to do.

"There was no announcement of supports along with those programs. What we're certainly talking to the government about is the need for that," he said.

'We just want to go home'

Parfonova said she too is waiting for more details on the visa process before deciding next steps. More than anything, she said, her family wants to return to Odessa.

"We just want to go home," said Parfonova, adding that before the war started, she had thoughts of moving back to Ukraine.

"We have huge hopes that it's going to be over… We don't even book anything longer than four or five days."

But their hope is fading each day the Russian invasion continues.