In February, The News Courier brought you a story on the Hill Family in Cullman County. Molly Luba Hill and Stephanie Hill’s biological families live in Ukraine including Molly’s brother Dima. He is currently a member of the Ukrainian Army on the front lines defending against the Russian invasion. Molly’s mother, Becca Hill, has provided updates as she has been able to get them.

The last update came in late April and since then, messages from Dima have become less frequent. On May 17, Dima messaged that he was “good” but indicated that phone service has been down in Ukraine as Russians had been bombing cell towers.

On Tuesday, Dima reached out with concerns for his family.

“Well, now the situation is not very good, every day they began to shell Nikolaev a lot with artillery, especially the area in which we live, and so everyone holds on. Now they are having difficulties. There is little work ad prices are rising very much. There is a catastrophic lack of money,” Dima said.

“The saddest thing is how much I miss my family, and how I just want to calmly walk around the park, along the embankment, without thinking about anything or worrying,” he said Wednesday morning, June 2.

Dima included a poem he wrote for his mother. The poem has been translated from Ukrainian to English.

“Mother, don’t worry, your son will be here soon.

For the last time but I will come.

Dear mother, don’t worry, your son is already leaving.

I’ll tell you in the spring how much I love you all.

Dear mother, don’t worry, I am good here. I’m already free.

I had to be here, I had to die for all of us- for our freedom, for my sister, for my blood brother.

Dear mother, don’t worry, your son will be here soon.

You’ll see him for the last time. You’ll kiss me for the last time.

Mother, don’t worry, I did everything.

It’s the way it had to be.”