The grave of an 11-year-old Ukrainian girl between bombed blocks [Reportaż Defence24.pl z miejsc ludobójstwa]

War in Ukraine – a special report from Defense24.pl

The large terraced block of Borodianka was torn in half after being hit by a bomb, and in the robbed apartments with an explosive charge you can see chairs, tiles, bedside tables and the remains of furniture. Interrupted life and family heritage. The furniture is hung on the 8th floor, and when it falls on the car that is under the block, it is shredded with bullets like a sieve. The car was supposed to evacuate the family from the combat zone. Borodyanka is called “little Mariupol”. The city was violently attacked by the Russians, and civilian buildings were thrown down with all possible means of combat available to the Russian army. The air force fired rockets and bombs at houses.

Cannon and rocket artillery struck the whole city with fire. Also, projectiles containing arrow shards. Russian tank crews fired on every apartment in their path, at every window. The debris trapped hundreds of people. Residents and rescuers rushed to save them. The Russians also fired on the rescuers. Yet it was a prelude to the hell that the Russian occupation was preparing after the invasion of the aggressors.

In Borodianka, as in Bucza, mass executions took place. The target was Ukrainian patriotic activists and local governments. local elites. However, the list of the murdered was growing every day, concerning the families of the killed, their neighbors, and in the end, the very apartment of Bucza and Borodianka was a reason for the Russians to shoot someone in the head. In the center of Borodianka there is a monument to the Ukrainian poet. Even he has a whim. The occupier’s frenzy knew no bounds. Surviving raids and executions was not synonymous with safety. The struggle for survival lasted until the last day of the occupation. “Russians rape women, teenage girls, with pipes. It is so monstrous that words fail” – emphasizes Maksim, associate of the Catholic Church in Ukraine and humanitarian activist of the organization “Chance for Life”. “We are trying to help these women, but the trauma is so great “, she adds.

Let us remember that where the Ukrainian soldiers were stationed, the evacuation of civilians was organized, those who sat in the cellars, those who were safe from Russian bullets, were escorted to safe places. The soldiers risked their lives organizing the evacuation. But not on the Russian side of the front. The Russians kept people in the cellars by force, under arms. Knowing that they have long lacked food and water.

“A Russian branch is located next to us. They flew. They raped. In one of the buildings there were bodies of children they murdered. They were especially afraid of Ukrainian drones. They often shot to the sky “- tells me a couple from Bucza, who survived the Russian occupation. We are talking in front of a dilapidated skyscraper. They emotionally receive humanitarian aid from Poland – from the Freedom and Help Foundation and Caritas. Against the background of a building set on fire by rockets, the boy holds two bars in his hands. He smiles. “A child’s smile when I give him food. It’s amazing that I can help,” says Paweł, a retired policeman, volunteer in a humanitarian convoy.

“Those who survived the hostilities are mutilated not only physically but also emotionally. What we manage to do is only a drop in the ocean of needs “- he emphasizes. Due to the scale of the devastation, the humanitarian situation is very difficult in Borodyanka. They are happy to have something to eat in the next few days. . They will have anything on the table “- emphasizes Karina, a social activist involved in the aid. Polish volunteers distribute aid to the needy. The line of people is very long. They look expectantly at the long line of cars in the Polish humanitarian convoy.

“In the areas abandoned by the aggressors, literally everything is missing. The inhabitants do not hide their joy and emotion after receiving bread and other items” – adds Tomasz, social activist, volunteer. Polish volunteers are silent heroes in these difficult times. In Ukraine, when you start speaking Polish, people are immediately positive. It is the merit of these people. For the people of Ukraine, Poland is a “sister” who helps in times of war. The convoy I accompanied to Ukraine only confirms the belief of the local community that the Poles have opened their hearts to the needs victims of war.

“I like to help people. As much as I can and when I can – I help. In different situations. For many years I have had the recognition of people’s needs. I respond to needs. It is impossible to ‘help everyone, but where it’s worth taking the risk and coming to help “- explains Karina. Looking at the involvement of volunteers, I immediately notice that for them it is something more than a job, something more than an extra occupation. to the areas where this aid is needed, to the front or directly to the villages where this aid is just beginning to arrive. Together with my wife, we help, because we cannot remain indifferent to such tragedies, where, especially on children, war leaves the mark of suffering and cruelty “- summarizes Tomasz.

The volunteers are aware that they are taking risks, but are ready to do so. “Luck smiles on the prepared, so I help with the preparation. Let’s remember that preparations and flexibility are very important, because the situation there is changing dynamically “- emphasizes Paweł, who has many years of experience with the police. Near Borodianka there is the last line of trenches , from where the Russians escaped beaten by the Ukrainians kyiv was defended. I managed to get to this place, although it is not so obvious for journalists. You can see that the Russians fled d ‘here suddenly, leaving behind scattered civilian clothes they stole earlier.

In the mud there are crates of Ranks and mortar grenades. Vehicle parts – including tracks – are submerged in the dirty, muddy water. Even canoes with makeshift kitchens survived. “They dig into the ground like moles. They lost, they fled into the forest, and Bayraktary came “- emphasizes Maksim. Next to the trenches there is a burnt Russian BMD-2, used to transport troops. It has a torn off tower. The burnt vehicles are now a permanent feature of the village near kyiv. I even came across the BMP-2, which was burned in a store. Either it was hit by a rocket and the man entered the “store”, or he tried to hide there and shoot in secret, but in any case, the defenders of Ukraine caught up with him.

The Ukrainian soldiers defending kyiv showed great military skill, stopping the mechanized columns of the Russians, and the capital was defended. Fighting has ceased near kyiv, although it is still dangerous. The Russians launch rockets at the Ukrainian capital – between Catholic and Orthodox Easter, they took revenge on the sunken cruiser “Moscow” and “prepared” another rocket attack on Donbass. Rockets fell, among others at the brewery near Kijev. Yesterday they fired rockets at residential houses in the Ukrainian capital. The territories where the Russian soldier was present are marked by a large number of mines and unexploded bombs. But the most bleeding unhealed wound is the trauma of the occupation, that is, the genocide committed by Putin’s soldiers.

Michal Bruszewski