Gombita describes peace run from Kyiv to Košice and war’s toll
Svetkrestanstva.postoj.sk reported that the journey aimed to deliver a message of peace, love, and good while highlighting the psychological toll of the ongoing conflict.
The Train Journey And The First Explosions In Kyiv
The risks materialized immediately upon arrival in the Ukrainian capital. The team traveled by train, which experienced delays and arrived around 9:00 a.m. instead of 6:00 a.m. Approximately half an hour after the runners disembarked, a bomb or drone exploded at the station, killing one person and injuring several others.
Gombita recounted further danger on the first night during hotel check-in. While staying on the fifth floor, explosions rocked the area, air raid sirens wailed, and power failed, trapping a fellow runner in an elevator between floors. Early morning blasts shook the building violently, though exhaustion led the priest to pull his duvet over his head and return to sleep.
Locals showed deep psychological adaptation to the constant bombardment. When asked how they coped with sirens and warnings, residents told the team that living day-to-day was the only way to avoid madness. Gombita observed widespread quiet sorrow across the population, noting that nearly everyone had lost someone, and pointing to numerous young people learning to walk with metal prosthetics.
Route Changes And Police Protection Along The Highway
Security concerns forced the team to alter their initial plans. After reviewing the proposed paths, Ukrainian organizers rerouted the course southward toward the Romanian and Moldovan borders to avoid high-risk zones.
Strict schedules governed the run. Participants ran in two shifts, and the strict curfew forced all movement to halt by 8:30 p.m., with cities plunging into complete darkness at 9:00 p.m. On the fourth day of running, three loud blasts shook the road, prompting cars to brake and stop. A police escort accompanying the runners signaled that they could continue.
Russian Strikes Target Logistical Nodes Near Carpathians
Russian strikes focused heavily on strategic logistical nodes. Around the fourth or fifth day, as the team stopped at a gas station near the Carpathian forests, an employee rushed out shouting for them to flee due to incoming drone reports.
Gombita noted that Russian forces systematically targeted fuel stations, warehouses, electrical substations, and rail lines to cut off resources and paralyze civilian life. Despite the destruction, he observed remarkable cleanliness and modern infrastructure along the main transit routes, noting a total lack of litter or road defects over hundreds of kilometers.
Administrative hurdles also affected the roster. One elite Ukrainian runner had to turn back at the final border approach after failing to secure official permission to leave the country, knowing that rejection meant immediate conscription.
The Path To Forgiveness And The Warning For Europe
Reflecting on the emotional trauma inflicted by the conflict, Gombita emphasized the necessity of forgiveness. He acknowledged the extreme difficulty for individuals who lost children, husbands, or wives, but warned that harboring anger and hatred ultimately destroys the person holding it rather than the adversary.
The peace run concluded in Košice, though one team member had to separate at the border. Gombita framed the overarching lesson of the journey as a broader societal warning. Without a return to mutual respect, shared values, and foundational ethics, the spiritual and physical devastation witnessed in Ukraine threatens to spread further across the continent.