B.C. university student juggles life as a war correspondent in Ukraine
As she watched her home country turn into rubble and witnessed how her neighbours were responding to the conflict, 21-year-old Anastasiia Lapatina pulled out her phone and tweeted -- giving the world a raw glimpse of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"It's difficult to see something so terrible and so objectively evil in front of you," she told CTV News.
As an aspiring war correspondent, she's tried to prepare herself for the worst, having read and watched videos on war, but says none of what she studied compares to what she's witnessed in person over the last several months.
"I don't know if I am staying strong or coping. I, very often, kind of go into a very dark place in my mind because it's very overwhelming," she said.
Lapatina studies political science at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March of 2020 and in-person classes were cancelled, she left Canada and went to stay with her mother in Ukraine. For the next two years she studied remotely and worked part-time as a reporter.
Not long before the war began, she and a group of journalists launched The Kyiv Independent. For the last four months she's been covering the war extensively for the outlet.
It hasn't been an easy task, but it's one that she finds necessary to do. And she says witnessing the resistance of her people has kept her going.
"I really care about human stories. I care about how conflict impacts people, how it changes their routines. How humans adjust to this kind of suffering," said Lapatina.
People online have taken notice, as she's garnered nearly 650,000 Twitter followers due to her reporting.
She plans to return to Vancouver in September for her final year, but in the meantime, will be staying at Kyiv with her mom, where she grew up, and continue writing about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE SOON Police arrest 3 in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
BREAKING Foreign meddling 'did not affect' overall federal election results: inquiry report
Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals, a federal commission of inquiry has found.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto incident caught on video
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
WATCH LIVE Funeral today for broadcasting legend and voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada' Bob Cole
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Who is Hope Hicks, longtime Trump aide who is testifying in N.Y. hush money case?
Hope Hicks, once a longtime trusted aide in Donald Trump’s inner circle, is testifying Friday in the New York hush money trial after being subpoenaed.