ALEXANDRIA, Ky. — War continues to wage on in Ukraine more than a year after Russian forces initially invaded the country.
A family that has taken devastating blows from that war is now taking refuge in northern Kentucky. And they’ve formed a lifelong bond with the Kentucky family that took them in.
Andrii and Viktoriia Dybka are proud Ukrainians. Now, they said, they’re proud Kentuckians, too. But while they’re safe in Alexandria, their hearts are still back in their home country.
“We worry about it all the time,” Viktoriia, who goes by Vika, said. “It’s difficult, because it’s two different lives to be here, to stay safe and healthy, and know that your friends and relatives are staying in the bombings, and risk their lives. It’s terrible to understand that this war continues, and we want to stop it, and do all possible to stop it as soon as possible.”
Five months ago, they moved in with Mike Ward, Alexandria’s former police chief who retired in 2019. But Ward’s connection to Ukraine goes back much further.
It didn’t take long for the Dybka family to form a strong bond with the Ward family. (Spectrum News 1/Sam Knef)
He and his partner, former Covington Police Chief Brian Carter, had made many trips to the country while developing a police officer training program. So when the war with Russia broke out, it affected him personally.
“We were angry this was happening to them,” Ward said. “We developed such a close bond with those officers over there. Like everywhere else, police are at the bottom of that food chain. And these were guys that we knew by name.”
Andrii was a deputy police chief himself in Ukraine, one of ten officers to stay in Mariupol while others were escorting civilians to safety. Vika and their daughter had fled to Germany.
On March 14, 2022, Andrii was doing what he said he’s always been called to do: help people. He was in a steel plant in Mariupol, where about 1,000 Ukrainians were taking shelter.
“I take water for people who hide in our shelter. We made a shelter for people in the basement,” he said. “We help them, and I feel we did a very important job.”
A Russian airstrike brought instant devastation and changed the course of Andrii and his family’s lives.
“One of the bombs struck our building where I was inside,” he said.
His leg was blown wide open. “Yes, it was very scary,” he said.
Meanwhile, Vika had no communication with her husband.
“Several days we had no cellphone connection, so we were very worried about their health and life. We knew our city was attacked and surrounded by Russians, that our city was without water and electricity, cell connection. So we were afraid, very much,” Vika said.
Mike Ward has a long history of working with police officers in Ukraine. A Ukrainian flag flies below his American flag. (Spectrum News 1/Sam Knef)
Ward had helped create an outreach program to send supplies to Ukrainian officers. But he wanted to do more, so he got involved with the Northern Kentucky United for Ukraine group. The group had a goal of sponsoring families.
“I talked to Carol, my wife, and we have a two-bedroom apartment that’s empty. We’re empty nesters. We were in a position that we could help someone,” Ward said. “So for a few months, we tried to identify a family, and it was difficult, because all of our contacts were all over the place.”
He eventually connected with the Dybka family. Andrii needed rehabilitation after the surgery following his injury. Vika was struggling to learn German. Moving to Kentucky sounded like an exciting prospect.
Ward filled out the paperwork for U.S. Customs and Immigration. A few weeks later, he met the three Ukrainians in person for the first time while picking them up from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
“They had one suitcase each. And one backpack each. That was everything. That was their life,” Ward said. “Their resilience is incredible.”
It didn’t take long for the two families to bond. The police connection Ward and Andrii shared certainly helped.
“Mike and Carol are very good people. Very kind, and he feels like our own family. So we very much appreciate it,” Andrii said.
The feeling was mutual for Ward.
“I just enjoy sitting, talking with him. We’ve become good friends,” he said. “Vika makes the best borsch soup, bar none. For me, that’s a blessing. That right there is a reward. All I need: a good bowl of soup.”
On the anniversary of the bombing he survived, Andrii told Ward he was celebrating his second birthday.
“He sees that as his second birth of life. A new beginning for him. Things happen for a reason, and so they came here for a reason,” Ward said. “I think the good lord was looking out for him and for us, because they have truly become a part of our family.”
In addition to learning English with other Ukrainian families, the Dybkas recently secured workers’ permits and driver’s licenses. They’re trying to buy cars, applying for jobs and hoping to eventually get their own place.
The program that allows them to stay in the U.S. runs for two years. After that, their plans get cloudy.
“We think about it, but we don’t have a place where we can go back to in Ukraine,” Andrii said. “What will be next? We don’t know. For this time, we have plans to get jobs. And we’ll try to leave here. And we’ll see with time.”
As far as Ward is concerned, one thing is certain: “I don’t care where they go, they’re still family.”
Despite everything he’s done, Ward said he still wishes he could do more.
“History repeats itself, right? And evil perpetuates when good men and women say or do nothing. And we weren’t going to sit around and say and do nothing. So we decided to do something, and every little bit helps,” he said. “Sometimes, I just want to sit and cry. We cannot.. We don’t get it. We haven’t fought a war on our soil since the 1860s.”
The American Police Outreach program, which Ward helped create, has sent over 200 pieces of body armor, and about $45,000 worth of materials to Ukrainian officers to date.
