Mayor of Sebastopol reacts to Russian invasion

SEBASTOPOL, Calif. (KRON) - While the world watches what unfolds in Ukraine, some in the Bay Area have a more personal connection.

The City of Sebastopol in Sonoma County has had a sister city in Ukraine since 1993.

They may be 6,200 miles apart from each other, but Sebastopol and Chyhyryn have had a 29-year friendship. It’s why Sebastopol’s mayor is keeping a watchful eye on the military action being taken in Ukraine.

The sister city relationship with Chyhyryn is clearly written on Sebastopol’s welcome sign.

Mayor Patrick Slayter says for nearly three decades there have been middle schooler exchanges with the city located in the central part of Ukraine.

“Stay in each other’s homes and they meet each other’s families and they live each other’s daily lives so it’s really a pretty great cultural exchange," Mayor Patrick Slater said.

Since Russian troops invaded Ukraine, Mayor Slater and others in Sebastopol have been in contact with the sister city.

No reports of military activity there, but he worries for the entire country as missile strikes continue.

“Unbelievable violence towards people who are going about their own lives and living their own lives doing things that we all do," Mayor Slater said.

For others in the Bay Area, there’s a more personal connection to the invasion in Ukraine.

“It’s extremely tough on everyone," Dima Lapchuk said.

Dima Lapchuk lives in Mountain View but grew up in Dnipro, Ukraine where his parents still live.

It’s scary for him to see the bombings online and hear about people sheltering in their basements.

Using his social media pages and attending local rallies to let others know what it’s like living in a war zone.

“Raising awareness so that we can ask local politicians to increase help to Ukraine," Lapchuk said.

Wanting the U.S. to place stronger sanctions on Russia and increase humanitarian efforts to Ukrainians, who he knows to be a resilient population.

“Scared on some level, but also resolute on another level,"

Lapchuk said.

“Things that we take for granted they do not and so I think that that does breed a certain level of toughness or of resilience," Mayor Slater said.

Both Lapchuk and Mayor Slayter say they are thankful that communication lines with Ukraine have been uninterrupted during Russia’s invasion. Mostly getting their updates from friends and family through online messages.

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