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Christine Moussienko says her sister-in-law is sheltering from shelling and bombs in a Ukrainian metropolis surrounded by Russian troops, questioning if it’ll fall to its besiegers.
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“Many of the city is in cellars, they have been informed to enter the bunkers as a result of they’re hitting Chirnihiv once more,” mentioned Moussienko who’s from Calgary.
“They’re within the centre of a battle zone…it’s underneath martial legislation.”
Moussienko mentioned she’s in common cellphone contact together with her sister-in-law Svetlana, who was widowed final Might when the Calgarian’s brother died.
“I message them each evening to see in the event that they’ve survived after which message them once more within the morning,” she mentioned.
After assembly stiff resistance and failing to seize any of Ukraine’s main cities, the nation’s leaders and different observers say the Russians have now intensified their assaults on populated centres to interrupt the defenders’ resolve.
On Wednesday, it was reported Russian forces had captured the southern Ukrainian metropolis of Kherson, a strategic centre between the Crimea, port metropolis Odessa and territories held by Kremlin-backed separatists within the nation’s East.
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The Calgary lady’s 57-year-old sister-in-law Svetlana Moussienko is trapped within the northern Ukrainian metropolis of Chernihiv 120 km northeast of Kyiv which can also be dangerously near the heavily-damaged Chernobyl nuclear plant that’s been captured by Russian forces.
Video taken by Chernihiv’s residents and journalists present buildings in flames after being hit by Russian fireplace.
One other video exhibits the residents utilizing their our bodies to dam Russian armoured autos from advancing into the town.
These in shelters emerge sporadically into the daylight to gauge the progress of the preventing within the metropolis of 285,000, mentioned Moussienko.
“Folks in her cellar are taking turns going exterior to see what’s happening,” she mentioned.
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Svetlana’s aged mom, she mentioned, travelled from western Ukraine to Chernihiv to hitch them and is now trapped as effectively.
“She shouldn’t have gone there, to be the place there’s a lot terror,” mentioned Moussienko, including there’s no escaping the town because it’s encircled by Russian troops who invaded from close by Belarus.
“She mentioned ‘I’m not going anyplace as a result of I can’t.’”
Happily, she mentioned Svetlana and others round her are well-supplied.
“They have been ready, they have been already hoarding meals (earlier than the battle broke out),” she mentioned.
The girl mentioned she has kinfolk scattered all through Ukraine, together with some within the space of its second-largest metropolis, Kharkiv, which is underneath a brutal siege within the nation’s northeast.
One in every of them is an aged man who survived the Second World Warfare Nazi invasion, a Soviet gulag and compelled resettlement, she mentioned.
“My husband’s cousin is a baby of battle and it’s very arduous for him to deal with – he can’t consider that is taking place once more,” mentioned Moussienko.
“He’s re-living all the things he went by means of as a baby.”
Even so, Moussienko mentioned the spirit of resistance amongst Ukrainians is inspiring and studies of dismal Russian morale and coaching ranges are causes for hope.
“I’ve by no means been so proud to be Ukrainian,” she mentioned.
BKaufmann@postmedia.com
Twitter: @BillKaufmann
