“They are fighting for our freedom here as well,” was the message sent by the Faculty of Arts’ Dr. Radomyr Mokryk, currently in Lviv. He was one of the panellists at a student event held at Kampus Hybernská. The happening took place a day after Russian military forces attacked Ukraine.

“The Russian occupiers are dropping bombs on civilians,” says Tamara Bardina from Chernihiv, Ukraine, a student at Charles University. Her indignation was in immediate response to the invasion on 24 February. Since, the situation in Ukraine has only grown worse.

“I don't know a single Belarusian who supports the war in Ukraine,” says Larysa Aharkava, a Charles University graduate. She came to the Czech Republic from Belarus at the age of 18 and has been working for Google for the last 12 years.

The 2021 Czech film Occupation underperformed at the box office but eventually began picking up awards such the Czech Film Critics’ Prize and the Czech Lion. The script was co-written by Marek Šindelka - a Ph.D. student at Charles University.

Russia’s war on Ukraine has been ongoing for 100 days. There are no signs of the conflict abating – just the opposite. Support for Ukrainians is enormous. Charles University is among those helping, aiding Ukrainian students and academics and more.

Thousands of dead and wounded, millions of people in exile, destroyed infrastructure. The war Russia unleashed has affected Ukraine immeasurably; it will take generations to recover, says Veronika Bílková of the Faculty of Law.

“When I was in Ukraine, I came to realise that 'ordinary' human honesty is what saves lives,” says Milan Švrčina, a graduate of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. Švrčina was an active member of the International Legion in Ukraine.