Saskatoon university student volunteering in Ukraine amid escalating attacks

Taisa Rudy said she's been saving up for years to go to Ukraine. (Submitted courtesy of Taisa Rudy)

A 20-year-old from Saskatoon is spending her summer in Ukraine, helping with humanitarian efforts as the war with Russia continues.

Taisa Rudy arrived in Ukraine earlier this month after saving more than $5,000 to make the trip — something she says had been a personal goal for years.

“It’s always been in the back of my mind to come to Ukraine. I worked a whole bunch, saved up my money, and I’m super fortunate that I have such a huge support system at home,” Rudy told CTV News from from Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv.

The University of Saskatchewan sociology student is volunteering with Ukrainian Patriot, an international aid organization founded by a woman originally from Saskatoon when the war began.

Rudy said going to Ukraine was at the top of her bucket list.

“I have a bucket list of everything I want to achieve in my life, and going to Ukraine was number one on that list,” she said.

One of her first assignments involved helping care for pets abandoned because of the war.

Now based in Kyiv, Rudy is experiencing the reality of life in a war zone firsthand. She said she keeps a go-bag ready in case air raid sirens force her to take shelter.

“When you’re walking and hearing the air raid, it brings a different sense of nerves to you,” she shared.

Rudy said conditions can change quickly depending on the needs of people affected by the war.

“With the war going on, you can’t always predict everything that’s going to happen. Things are always changing, so you go to where is most needed,” Rudy added.

She said seeing empty homes and communities impacted by the war has been especially difficult.

“It’s really sad for me to see so many places that people have just left because they had to. There was a full family using this house, and this was what they called their home,” Rudy said.

Rudy hopes others will also consider supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine through donations or volunteer work.