An Ontario woman's husband went missing in Ukraine. She's asking Canadians not to forget the war

As a child, Oksana Orel dreamed of one day visiting Canada. But in February 2022, she woke up to a nightmare — explosions rocked Kyiv and nobody knew why.

Once it became clear that Russia was invading Ukraine, she and her husband planned to enlist and defend their country. Then, she found out she was pregnant.

After that, she said things became black and white — she needed to be somewhere her baby would be safe.

She gave birth to their daughter alone in Barrie, Ont. in October 2022. Her husband stayed with Ukraine's Territorial Defence Forces and was sent to fight in what has been called the war's bloodiest battle in Bakhmut.

But since January 2023, he's been missing, says Orel. CBC Toronto has agreed not to share more details about him because she is concerned he may be a Russian prisoner of war. 

And while she is "so thankful" for the support she's received so far, as the full scale invasion reaches its second anniversary this Saturday, she doesn't want Canadians to forget about her home country.

"We're still fighting and dying for democracy. So your voice makes a change, we need help to finish off this madness and hell on the earth," she said, adding support for Ukraine and Ukrainians in Canada can come in many forms.

"Sometimes we don't need money, we need support, we need understanding. Sometimes we just need advice." 

Orel is one of multiple Ukrainians living in Ontario who told CBC Toronto there is still a need for support from Canada both on the front lines and here at home. One key way people can show that support, they say, is by attending public events held in solidarity with their country.

Anna Heychuk was already living in Canada before the invasion. In 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, she started a Facebook group called Ukrainian Moms in Toronto as a place for people to feel solidarity and discuss motherhood.

Since Russia invaded in February 2022, she says its membership has grown by thousands.

She said she understands people can get fatigued by hearing so much about the war, but unfortunately, it continues. 

"I do understand that it's maybe not their personal war. But maybe they have their dearest friend, colleague or neighbour who is affected by this war and just ask them what they need," she says. 

Heychuk works with the organizations Ukrainian Canadian Social Services Toronto and Canadian Ukrainian Immigrant Aid Society Immigrant Services on an initiative called the leleka project, which means stork in Ukrainian, to help mothers displaced by the war navigate a new life in Canada.