War in Ukraine focus of Beaufort talk. Here’s how much residents have raised for 1 city
The City of Beaufort and the University of South Carolina Beaufort will present a discussion on the war in Ukraine as the city continues to raise funds, and now awareness, about the growing humanitarian crisis.
The panel discussion, at USCB’s Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret St., is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Monday, March 28.
The panel discussion comes as the city continues to raise funds for the City of Ostroh, in western Ukraine, to help Ostroh offer humanitarian assistance to refugees from other parts of Ukraine.
Those interested can donate through Beaufort Pride of Place. All proceeds will go to Ostroh. More information can be found here: http://www.cityofbeaufort.org/270/Beaufort-Pride-of-Place.
As of Tuesday, Beaufort residents had contributed $19,980 for Ostroh, City Manager Bill Prokop said, with residents dropping off checks at City Hall or paying with credit cards. The goal is to raise $25,000 by the end of the month.
Ostroh, which is approximately 217 miles west of Kyiv and 177 miles east of the border with Poland, is currently not the site of any fighting. Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray said he spoke with Ostroh Mayor Yurri Yahodka this week. Yahodka told him that the community had taken in 1,100 refugees from areas where fighting is occurring. Murray also said he has received an inquiry from another South Carolina mayor that is considering a similar effort to assist a community in the Ukraine.
Murray will moderate Monday’s discussion. Panelists will include Dr. Kevin Dopf, a professor of political science at USCB and retired Army officer who taught at the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College; Julie Siebold, who taught English to students in Ukraine; and Inna Lanigan, a Ukrainian national whose family still lives in Ukraine.
The panel, entitled Unite for Ukraine, is free and open to the public.
Russia invaded Ukraine Feb. 24 with the invasion causing a refugee crisis with over 3.4 million Ukrainians fleeing their country. As of Sunday, 902 civilians had been killed and 1,459 injured, according to the United Nations. Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, the UN said.
The New York Times reported last week that 7,000 Russian troops had been killed. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has said that an estimated 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the war.
This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 9:00 AM.
