Russia launched a invasion of ukraine in the early hours of February 24.
But 5,780 miles away in South Florida, the repercussions of Russian aggression could play a role in daily life for the immediate and foreseeable future.
Rise in fuel prices. Reduced travel. Boycotts of Russian products. Sadness and fears for the safety of loved ones.
Here are some of the areas where the invasion has already left its mark in Florida and across the country.
Gasoline prices
Gas prices were already rising before the Russian attack on Ukraine. Given that as a producer, Russia represented more than one tenth of world oil in 2020according to a BP analysis, expect to pay more for your next road trip.
The average price of gas in the United States, to February 10 was $3.47, the most since 2014, according to AAA.
In Florida in early March, the figure jumped to $3.49, according to GasBuddy. It is also the highest in eight years. We saw $3.99 a gallon for regular price at a Kendall-area Shell on Friday.
Part of the reason for rising fuel costs is an increase in demand and a lack of supply. We are traveling more as COVID restrictions have eased. But Russia’s action against Ukraine is a significant contributing factor for escalating oil prices, according to AAA.
“The invasion of Russia and the growing series of financial sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies have sown jitters in the global oil market,” AAA spokesman Andrew Gross told WTSP. 10 from Tampa Bay.
Air flights
Many flights to Russia have been canceled or complicated as the battle escalates.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport currently offers no nonstop air service to Europe, including Russia or Ukraine, said Arlene Satchell, public information officer for the Department of Aviation’s Broward County. “In particular, Aeroflot has no operations at FLL, so we are not directly affected by a federal airspace ban on Russian commercial passenger aircraft.”
“Miami International Airport used to only have three weekly flights to and from Moscow by Aeroflot, but those have now been blocked by the FAA as of this week,” said Greg Chin, director of communications for the Miami-Dade Department of Aviation. MIA has never had direct flights from Ukraine, he added.
Cruise lines
Among them: Royal Caribbean International will forgo Russian ports in the upcoming summer cruise season. MSC Cruises has suspended calls for its four ships in St Petersburg, Russia, according to declaration this week. The cruise line was exploring other port options which could include Stockholm, Helsinki and Tallinn, Estonia.
MSC Cruises’ sister company, the Mediterranean Shipping Company, announced a temporary shutdown on all cargo bookings to and from Russia, effective immediately.
Carnival Corporation said none of its nine brands will stop in Russia during the upcoming summer cruise season. Additionally, Norwegian Cruise Lines has removed Russian ports from its itineraries.
Travel
A Miami-Dade advertising agency in the 1970s once came up with a slogan that has been etched in memory for decades – “Miami: see it like a native.”
But given what’s happened internationally, Miami and the Sunshine State as a whole may have fewer visitors seeing us as natives or not.
According to Robert Lloyd, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Palm Beach Atlantic University, Florida could face fewer tourists following the Russian invasion.
“We have a lot of international travelers, especially from Europe, who will come to places like Orlando for tourism there, or to South Florida, and that could be affected as well,” Lloyd told CBS12 News.
Why? Rising fuel prices are also affecting planes, and the price of flights could become prohibitive for some travellers. Uncertainty that undermines the world’s sense of being could also hamper travel.
Where did all the vodka go?
Not all vodkas are made in Russia. Stolichnaya and Smirnoff are made in Latvia and the USA respectively. According to a Bloomberg report, only about 14% of global vodka volume is produced in Russia and most of it is sold in Russia. But if you want Russian-made vodka like Beluga, Ruskova, or Russian Standard, don’t look for it at any of Florida’s 833 Publix supermarkets or any of the state’s 34 Total Wine & More stores.
Chains pulled Russian-made products in support of Ukraine.
Lakeland-based Publix has also removed spirits from its liquor shelves in its stores in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers, parent company of Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más and Harveys Supermarket, said its foundation is donating $250,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross to help with relief efforts in Ukraine.
Export as caviar and other seafood could become scarce, but most Russian food products, such as cheeses and sweets, are made in the United States, the Daily Mail reported.
Troops deployed
From the end of November, the US Department of Defense had deployed 160 members of the Florida National Guard in Ukraine to train, advise and mentor the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to the department. Prior to the February 24 invasion, the troops, assigned to the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and part of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine, were temporarily repositioned elsewhere in Europe.
Pentagon press secretary John F. Kirby said the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution – with the safety and security of our personnel above all else” in a statement reported by the Department of Defense.
Can Americans Volunteer defend Ukraine? It is legal to go abroad and enlist in a foreign army, but there are conditions. One step would be to contact the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington. (There is no embassy in Florida.)
How you can help
The Jewish Federation of Greater Miami has launched an emergency fund to help support those affected by the humanitarian crisis.
If you would like to use a credit card to contribute to the Emergency Fund for Ukraine, visit http://www.JewishMiami.org/ukraine. Or you can send a donation check made out to Jewish Federation of Greater Miami marked “Emergency Fund for Ukraine” to Jewish Federation of Greater Miami, 4200 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, Florida 33137. Call 305-576-4000 for more information.
▪ The Ukrainians have compiled a list of ways in which foreigners can provide aid directly to civilians and soldiers on the ground. The four organizations are: Razom for Ukraine; United Help of Ukraine; Fundraising for Sunflower of Peace and Risen Soldiers Ukraine.
▪ AT&T is offering consumers and businesses unlimited long distance calling from the United States to Ukraine through March 7. Customers may still receive alerts during these dates, but accounts will reflect canceled voice credits and/or charges. For more information, visit go.att.com/ukraine.
▪ People book Airbnbs in Ukraine, but not really to stay there. Rather, the gestures are a way to send money directly to Ukrainians, McClatchy reported.
Miami Herald reporters Carli Teproff, Michelle Marchante and Anna Jean Kaiser contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 5, 2022 7:11 a.m.
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