Andrey Gonchruk used to consider the Russian soldiers he fought alongside it when Ukraine was part of it of the Soviet Union his brothers. That feeling faded at 68-year-old prepares to resist their invasion of son country gun in main.
“It’s a blitzkrieg,” Gonchruk said Wednesday. He stood in the rubble of a home newly shattered by what locals called a Russian airstrike in Gorenka, a village on The suburbs of The capital of Ukraine which has found himself in crossfire as Moscow attempts to take Kyiv.
The white-bearded pensioner is one of tens of thousands of Ukrainians who volunteered to defend their homeland against Russia. Him and son son Kostya armed himself after last weeks invasion. Together they patrol the village.
Volunteer Advocates also share pain of loss. Residents said that at least two people of Gorenka were killed in Russia’s one-week-old child offensive and a dozen wounded. Many homes were destroyed Wednesday. The women stood in the ruins and wept.
“There were a lot of destruction,” Gonchruk said. “But the people here hold on good.” Many men in the village has military experience, like him.
The Ukrainian army distributed weapons to anyone who wishes to defend the country and has deployed thousands of reservists. Throughout Kyivcivilians in jeans and winter coats, wearing yellow bracers, squat behind Battery of tires with points control or monitoring on street corners.
They’re outnumbered, but “we’ll try to get (more) weapons,” although none are provided, Gonchruk said. “We will do it ourselves. Good kill the enemy and take up their arms,” he added.
In the days of the Soviet army, Gonchruk considered Russians as brothers in arms. Now it has changed.
“Everyone who comes to our territory is a enemy. No one invited them here,” he said. ” There is maybe good people among them, but no matter for me. They came to kill my people.”
Gonchruk is shocked by Moscow invasion. He had assumed that Russia would eventually take over separatist territories in eastern Ukraine, but he did not expect that full-climb offensive who struck at the heart of cities like Kharkiv and sent hundreds of thousands of people leak over borders.
Others head to bomb shelters, with growing anger against Russia. “We don’t need to be freed. To leave us alone!” said another resident of Gorenka, Larissa Lipatova, who fled to a cellar in the middle of Wednesdays attack and huddled under a blanket in the middle of containers of marinated tomatoes and jams.
With a veteranand despite the rubble at his feet, Gonchruk took sinister pride in the apparent setbacks of the Russians faced in the week since their invasion while the Ukrainians resist.
“They thought they could come here and, in a day or two they were taking Kyivbut look how they do so far! he said.
Elsewhere on The suburbs of the capital, another volunteer defender helped people cross the remains of a destroyed bridge on their way in the city. With a gun slung across his chest, the man held the main gloved of a small boy, who gave him a shy, smirk.
Others, one by one little by little across the river on an exposed pipe in snowfall. Residents said the bridge was destroyed to hinder the Russian advance.
Some sold out Kyiv residents celebrated even the little ones of victories. A, who gave only her first name, Roza, showed off son just- does the grocery shopping. “There’s everything: bananas, butter, even a fresh croissant,” she says.
Like Gonchruk, she had decided to stay instead of flee, armed only with determination as the war few could have imagined entered second week.
“We run to the basement, trembling and worried, but we believe in victory,” she said.
Andrey Gonchruk used to consider the Russian soldiers he fought alongside it when Ukraine was part of it of the Soviet Union his brothers. That feeling faded at 68-year-old prepares to resist their invasion of son country gun in main.
“It’s a blitzkrieg,” Gonchruk said Wednesday. He stood in the rubble of a home newly shattered by what locals called a Russian airstrike in Gorenka, a village on The suburbs of The capital of Ukraine which has found himself in crossfire as Moscow attempts to take Kyiv.
The white-bearded pensioner is one of tens of thousands of Ukrainians who volunteered to defend their homeland against Russia. Him and son son Kostya armed himself after last weeks invasion. Together they patrol the village.
Volunteer Advocates also share pain of loss. Residents said that at least two people of Gorenka were killed in Russia’s one-week-old child offensive and a dozen wounded. Many homes were destroyed Wednesday. The women stood in the ruins and wept.
“There were a lot of destruction,” Gonchruk said. “But the people here hold on good.” Many men in the village has military experience, like him.
The Ukrainian army distributed weapons to anyone who wishes to defend the country and has deployed thousands of reservists. Throughout Kyivcivilians in jeans and winter coats, wearing yellow bracers, squat behind Battery of tires with points control or monitoring on street corners.
They’re outnumbered, but “we’ll try to get (more) weapons,” although none are provided, Gonchruk said. “We will do it ourselves. Good kill the enemy and take up their arms,” he added.
In the days of the Soviet army, Gonchruk considered Russians as brothers in arms. Now it has changed.
“Everyone who comes to our territory is a enemy. No one invited them here,” he said. ” There is maybe good people among them, but no matter for me. They came to kill my people.”
Gonchruk is shocked by Moscow invasion. He had assumed that Russia would eventually take over separatist territories in eastern Ukraine, but he did not expect that full-climb offensive who struck at the heart of cities like Kharkiv and sent hundreds of thousands of people leak over borders.
Others head to bomb shelters, with growing anger against Russia. “We don’t need to be freed. To leave us alone!” said another resident of Gorenka, Larissa Lipatova, who fled to a cellar in the middle of Wednesdays attack and huddled under a blanket in the middle of containers of marinated tomatoes and jams.
With a veteranand despite the rubble at his feet, Gonchruk took sinister pride in the apparent setbacks of the Russians faced in the week since their invasion while the Ukrainians resist.
“They thought they could come here and, in a day or two they were taking Kyivbut look how they do so far! he said.
Elsewhere on The suburbs of the capital, another volunteer defender helped people cross the remains of a destroyed bridge on their way in the city. With a gun slung across his chest, the man held the main gloved of a small boy, who gave him a shy, smirk.
Others, one by one little by little across the river on an exposed pipe in snowfall. Residents said the bridge was destroyed to hinder the Russian advance.
Some sold out Kyiv residents celebrated even the little ones of victories. A, who gave only her first name, Roza, showed off son just- does the grocery shopping. “There’s everything: bananas, butter, even a fresh croissant,” she says.
Like Gonchruk, she had decided to stay instead of flee, armed only with determination as the war few could have imagined entered second week.
“We run to the basement, trembling and worried, but we believe in victory,” she said.