Thread by @zoyashef

Spoke with someone in Ukraine who is a member of Ukrainian resistance. Going to call him J. J is in his mid-40s, he was a school teacher and now has an IT business. Incredible conversation. Will have full write-up soon. Here's the message J wanted to get out to the world. 1/13

He lives in west of Ukraine. He is 100% Russian. Tells me his group is large, with volunteers doing everything to support those in firing line in east. "Some people are doing it for religious reasons, some are doing it because they’re believers ... 2/13

"... Some are nationalists. Some are just patriots of Ukraine, like me. I can’t be a nationalist Ukrainian because I have no Ukrainian blood. But I am a patriot of Ukraine." 3/13

What are they doing? Making Molotov cocktails (which Ukrainians have renamed Bandera smoothies), driving supplies east, getting women and children out of the east and taking them to border in west. 4/13

In his city, he says, "Almost everyone is working to help in some way. Even lazy people who don’t want to help, or someone who can’t, they’re at least pretending they’re helping. It’s shameful to admit you’re not making an effort." 5/13

J says the woman who is organising their group is an ethnic Romanian who speaks native Romanian, and perfect Russian, Ukrainian, German and English - she has been helping with translation. 6/13

J says of their organiser: "She’s not even a Ukrainian. But this is her home and her homeland. She could drink lots of our Ukrainian nationalists under the table, in terms of her patriotism." Our conversation is interrupted because J thinks he hears an air raid siren. 7/13

False alarm. Back to chat. I ask J whether he has thought of leaving Ukraine. "My first instinct was to run. There was a moment where I thought I need to get out ... But when I get thinking about it, I ask, where am I going to go?" 8/13

J says: "I don’t have any problems to get out of the country. People have offered to me that they would take me across the border. I can get across illegally. People have offered me a job. But I don’t see the point." 9/13

"It’s harder and worse here than in Romania. But here I’m home. What am I there? Here is my house, my friends, my interests, my business. What am I there? A refugee? Another refugee escaping war? Here I can do something, I can contribute." 10/13

I ask J what his message is to the world: "We need help." Says he wants Ukraine to be admitted to EU and NATO, and more immediately needs a no-fly zone. "We are very very thankful for the help we have been given already," J says ... 11/13

"But we would like the EU and NATO to acknowledge us and accept us as their partners. That would draw a line in the sand against Russian empire ... Russia's narrative is they need to save Russians like them. But we’re not Russians like them." Reminder: J is ethnic Russian. 12/13

What other help do they need? "Right now, we need smartphones. iPhones and iPads - newer than iPhone 7. We’re looking for that now. It’s not cheap. $300 American. But it’s necessary so we can do what we need to do." More from J soon. 13/13

A few people are asking how they can help with request re iPhones. I will check with J when I speak with him again in morning. Part of issue is just getting things into Ukraine. Might need to be delivered to Romania or Poland so they can be brought back. Stand by for info.