The Bristol Police Department held a ceremony last Wednesday to show solidarity to the people of Ukraine, including one of their own, by flying the Ukrainian flag and sending prayers to those currently embroiled in the war against Russia.

Lt. Roman Wozny of the Bristol Police Department, who has family currently in Ukraine and is of Ukrainian descent, provided a brief statement thanking all the town officials who made the ceremony happen, and decried the ongoing conflict.

“It is unbelievable to see such a beautiful and peaceful country being destroyed, and it is horrifying to watch the impact on so many lives, and lives lost,” he said. “My thoughts and prayers go out to all Ukrainians and Ukrainian people, especially my family members who are still in Ukraine.”

The department welcomed in a special guest, Fr. Mykhaylo (Michael) Dosyak of St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Church in Woonsocket, to provide a prayer for the group and to those abroad. Fr. Dosyak also has family members currently trapped in Ukraine.

“I just want to explain to you our flag,” he said, gesturing to the blue portion of Ukraine’s flag. “This is the sky, this is our sky, a peaceful sky. But right now in that sky is missiles and jets giving bombs to the people.” He pointed to the yellow portion. “Here is the yellow, it is fields of wheat, because Ukraine is the food basket of Europe. Right now it has mines and bombs also. We have an emblem, which means freedom.”

Fr. Dosyak explained how the fight in Ukraine is not just a European conflict, but a microcosm of a much larger symbolic battle between forces of good and evil.

“Right now, we are also fighting for the vast world against that beast,” he said. “That beast is a cancer of the whole world, all the time. If we’re not going to kill the cancer, the cancer will kill the world.”

The department provided Fr. Dosyak with its challenge coin and a Bristol PD baseball cap. Sgt. Ricardo Mourato, president of the IBPO 304, aptly summed up the emotions of the ceremony.

“We stand here today as free Americans. We have a home to return to at the end of our day. Our children have schools, food, and beds to sleep in tonight. What a contrast our realities are right now, but we are here today, together, raising the Ukrainian flag, alongside thousands of cities across the nation,” he said. “We hope and pray that somehow this provides hope to those struggling. That in their moment of darkness we can and will be a beacon of hope and that the country of Ukraine is not alone. We have members of our community that have relatives in Ukraine, and I will say to you with compassion and empathy, we stand with you.”