An East Boothbay couple is hearing about the Russian invasion of Ukraine a little sooner than most. For the past month, Al and Shirley Sirois have been glued to HF (high frequency) or shortwave radio transmissions between people around the world and Ukrainians. On March 4, they heard conversations between the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and Ukrainians during the attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant which caught on fire. The Siroises listened until transmission propagation began to wane. In Maine, Al says the best time to listen is between 3 to 6 p.m. 

Later, the couple went out to dinner. Once they entered the restaurant, they saw the first broadcast television reports of the invasion. “We walked in, and the TV news reported this as something just happening, but we heard about it a couple hours ago,” he said. For the Siroises, listening to the invasion has become a daily experience. They listen to live accounts from people experiencing the Russian invasion. “It’s absolutely amazing,” Al said. “We hear what’s happening instantly over the BBC frequency in London. They speak to people describing things like Russian tanks rolling in and how 2,000 Russian soldiers shooting their way to the plant.”

The attack on Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant sparked a memory for Al. He worked at the former Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Wiscasset. He spent a decade at Maine Yankee as a chief instrument engineer for the generator project. It was there he became a licensed Ham Radio operator. One of his duties was contacting the Maine State Police by Ham Radio if an emergency occurred and other traditional communication devices became inoperable. “The attack on the power plant reminded me of my time at Maine Yankee and all the procedures we had to follow in case of an emergency,” he said.

There are other aspects of the invasion being heard by the Siroises and other Ham operators around the world. Al recalls hearing transmissions from nearby European countries accepting Ukrainian refuges. “There are a large number of Ukrainians being displaced. We listen at home to people in Bulgaria, Poland, France, England and Italy making preparations to accept them,” he said.

Al Sirios hopes the HF transmissions may bring about an end to the conflict. Besides the immediacy of listening to the HF transmissions, Al enjoys another aspect of this type of communication. The direct transmission results in no editing or censoring of topics. “People in Russia can hear this. So I’m hoping this might bring about a change in their leadership or policy,” he said. 

Al describes listening to shortwave broadcasts as a relatively simple activity. He recommends for those interested in hearing what’s on people’s minds around the world to buy an HR shortwave radio. “The community can go to HRO (Ham Radio Outlet) in Salem, New Hampshire to buy new or used equipment. There you can purchase a radio for $100 to $200. After that, you just throw a 30-foot wire out the window,” he said.