BELLEVUE, Wash. — Tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees have immigrated to our state since Russia invaded Ukraine back in February 2022.
One of those refugees, a mother whose son is being held as a prisoner of war, is urging people not to forget about the war in her homeland.
Valeria Biletska is a heartbroken mother, pleading to be reunited with her son in a foreign land.
"She does not have peace inside, knowing that her son is being a subject of torture," said Biletska through a translator on Wednesday.
Biletska doesn’t speak much English but said through the translator that she and her husband, along with seven of their children immigrated to western Washington in April of 2022, just two months after Russia invaded Ukraine. She said the hardest part of leaving Ukraine, was leaving her oldest son, 24-year-old Roman after he enlisted in the Ukrainian military.
"He wanted to make sure the father stayed with the family,” said Biletska. “He said I will go and defend the country and you stay and defend the family."
Biletska said in April of last year she got the worst news possible, her son had died in battle. But two months later she learned from the Red Cross that was not the case. He was alive. Then, in February she received a note and a video of Roman from the Ukrainian government showing the Russians are holding him as a prisoner of war.
"It's like a scary roller coaster, you wake up in the morning and then you realize that it's a reality," said Biletska.
She said she’s sharing this story not only for her son but the countless others who are being held against their will.
"There's so many mothers just like her who don't know where her children are,” said Biletska. “Who are waiting for their sons and daughters to be released from prison."
Despite these uncertain times, Biletska is optimistic she'll be reunited with her son one day.
"We love you very much, we wait for us to meet, and it will be the biggest joy in my life to hug you again and to see eyes again," she said.
If you'd like to meet Biletska and hear more about her experience, the Ukrainian Cultural Center Toloka in Bellevue is having an event this Friday night from 7 to 9 p.m.