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
Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
McDavid scores in 2OT to lift Oilers over Stars in West Final opener
Connor McDavid tipped Evan Bouchard's shot from the boards past Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger 32 seconds into the second overtime to give the Edmonton Oilers a 3-2 win in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final..
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
Unknown Newfoundland soldier from the First World War heads back home from France after 100 years
Canadian soldiers and government officials arrived in northeastern France this week for a historic mission: returning an unknown Newfoundland soldier back home.
Calgary Philharmonic takes action following investigation into 'deeply troubling' comments by 2 musicians
The Calgary Philharmonic has confirmed its taking action after controversial online comments made by two members of the orchestra.