University of Missouri Ukrainian students: 'Thanks for the tanks, Americans'

University of Missouri Ukrainian students Vlad Sazhen and Alina Rohulia this week celebrated the U.S. decision to send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, along with 14 Leopard tanks from Germany.

They spoke Wednesday in Gateway Residence Hall.

"Me an Alina also would like to say 'thank you' to every American family for the protection of democracy and the safety of Europe," Sazhen said.

The tanks were in the news when the pair talked on Wednesday, which they said also was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's birthday. Everyone in Ukraine joked that it was President Joe Biden's birthday gift to Zelenskyy, they said.

"It's just perfect," Sazhen said of the tanks. "Everyone was advocating for them for such a long time."

The tanks will be useful for the Ukrainian counter-attack in the spring, they said.

"The next step, of course, is F-16s" Sazhen said of the American fighter jets.

"Sooner or later - sooner is best - we will get F-16s," Rohulia said. "We waited so long for tanks."

While Ukraine will have around 50 tanks when they can be transported, Russia has thousands of tanks.

"No matter how many tanks Russia has, even if we will have less tanks, we will be more powerful" because U.S. and German tanks are superior to Russian tanks, Rohulia said.

And the American and German tanks will be operated by Ukrainians, Rohulia said.

"Ukrainian soldiers will be much more efficient," she said.

Thanks to the U.S., Ukraine also has Javelin missiles, which Ukraine is using against Russian equipment, Sazhen said.

"One by one, their tanks will be destroyed," Sazhen said.

Sazhen's friend in Kyiv, Evhnii Savchenko, also messaged Sazhen about the tanks.

"Yes! Biden gave us tanks!" Sazhen read the message written in Ukrainian.

Savchenko works in a Kyiv hotel that was struck by a Russian rocket on Dec. 31.

Russia has responded, they said.

"Today, Russia launched a big rocket attack," Sazhen said Wednesday. "There were explosions in Kherson and Dnipro."

The U.S. Treasury Department has declared the Wagner Group, a militia fighting with Russia, as a "significant transnational criminal organization.

"They started drafting prisoners long ago," Sazhen said of the Wagner Group.

Not surprisingly, the prisoners don't make good fighters, with most dying quickly, they said.

"They are just animals," Sazhen said of the Wagner Group.

Both said studies are going well.

"I'm waiting for clear skies," to view the green comet visible in the north, near Polaris at night, Sazhen said.

Sazhen's parents and sister are in Kyiv, where there are constant power and internet outages because of Russian attacks on infrastructure, he said.

Rohulia's mom and dad are in her and Sazhen's hometown Kharkiv, with her dad in the Ukrainian Army. Her brother also is in the Army, in Poltava.

The tanks will be put to good use, Sazhen said,

"The money isn't going into some hole," he said. "This will contribute to Ukrainian victory."

"Ukrainan soldiers are very motivated," Rohulia said.

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.