Posted on 04/29/2022 9:47:38 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com
Vira Hyrych was killed when her apartment was struck by a Russian missile in Kyiv. Radio Freedom photo
The body of Ukrainian journalist Vira Hyrych was pulled out of the wreckage of an apartment building in Kyiv on Friday, a day after two Russian missiles struck the city.
Wary Kyiv residents gathered on April 29 at the scene of the missile strike in the Shevchenkivskyi district, where the first two floors of a newly opened 25-storey apartment building were largely destroyed.
Read more: One month after liberation, Bucha’s morgue is the city’s new nucleus
Two powerful explosions rocked central Kyiv at about 8 p.m. local time on Thursday, shortly after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the city.
Zelenskyy said five missiles had been launched at Kyiv and three were intercepted.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said four people were taken to hospital on Thursday night and rescuers had pulled a body out of the rubble on Friday morning.
Klitschko said there were few residents in the building at the time as it had only just opened.
Hyrych’s employer, Radio Freedom, confirmed her death on Friday in a statement. They said she had worked for the company for four years as a producer and she worked on “leading Ukrainian TV channels” prior to that.
“The editorial board of Radio Svoboda expresses its condolences to the family of Vira Hyrych and will remember her as a bright and kind person, a true professional,” the statement said.
The attack came shortly after Zelenskyy and Guterres held a press conference in which Guterres condemned the atrocities committed by Russian soldiers in towns such as Bucha, which he toured during the day.
Damage from a powerful blast in Kyiv on Thursday evening as seen on April 29. Ashleigh Stewart/Global News
During his visit, Guterres urged Russia “to accept to cooperate” with ongoing investigations into war crimes by the International Criminal Court (IRCC).
Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov was also in Kyiv for a meeting with Zelenskyy on Thursday.
Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said the city was struck with Russian cruise missiles and called it a “heinous act of barbarism.” 'We heard two rockets whistling over our heads'
On Friday morning, residents of the Shevchenkivskyi district arrived at the apartment building to assess the damage.
Emergency services were picking through the wreckage and removing rubble. The windows of buildings in the immediate vicinity were blown out, as well as some buildings hundreds of metres down the street.
Some residents watched on in horror, while others wept.
For many, Kyiv had been something of a safe haven when Russian troops retreated from the area on March 31 after largely being stalled in their advance on the capital in the surrounding districts of Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel.
Until now, Kyiv had also largely escaped the shelling that has been inflicted on the rest of Ukraine.
“I’m just shaking,” Lyudmula Dekalo said through tears, as she stared up at the destroyed apartment building, located just around the corner from where she lives.
Lyudmula Dekalo said she refused to leave her hometown and would collect Molotov cocktails to defend her city. Global News
Dekalo said her apartment, where she lives alone, shook when the missiles made landfall. She said she reacted by trying to hold up her walls with her hands.
She said she did not sleep at all because she was worried about the fate of the people inside the building that was hit.
Read more: Large explosions rock Kyiv after UN chief meets with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy
Dekalo said she left Kyiv in the early weeks of the war, first to Irpin and then to a town near Lviv when fighting in Irpin intensified, and only returned after the Russians retreated.
“We knew of course about the air sirens but there are air sirens all around Ukraine. It doesn’t matter where we are, it’s horrible and scary for people’s lives,” she said.
However, she will not leave again.
“I will collect Molotov cocktails, just in case. And we will remove these bandits from our country and we will remember everyone,” she said.
Olena was in her apartment in the building next door, on the ninth floor, with her husband when the missile strikes took place. She said she heard a huge explosion and saw a lot of dust, and one of her windows blew out.
She said there were no air raid sirens at the time of the attack, so she did not understand what was happening. Olena added she believes she was “lucky” to escape unharmed.
Pavlo Kosetskiy was with his daughter in their kitchen in the building next-door when the explosions took place.
“I first saw the flash and then heard the sound. The windows in our kitchen were destroyed,” he said.
“My daughter started screaming and my two other daughters ran out of the other room. They started shouting. We hid in the corridor. After that, we heard another explosion when we were already hidden in the corridor.”
Kosetskiy had returned to Kyiv just a few days ago after earlier evacuating, because he thought “the situation is calm.”
He said his two oldest daughters understood what was happening in the war, but his youngest daughter “just thinks it’s thunder.”
“We are very angry that our country is under attack from Russia and I agree to fight against this country for the sake of my daughters,” he said.
Tatiana Mazur said she heard ‘two rockets whistling over our heads’ while she was out walking her dog. Ashleigh Stewart/Global News
Tatiana Mazur was out walking her dog with her husband nearby when she heard the incoming missiles.
“We heard two rockets whistling over our heads, then we heard a lot of noise and saw a big cloud, like a fire,” she said.
Mazur, a doctor, said she stayed in Kyiv during the war because she and her husband are doctors and “want to help.” She said she did not want to become a refugee and wanted to put her skills to use here.
She said she feels safe “from time to time,” but it is not safe anywhere in Ukraine and she understands the risk of staying.
“We get used to it but still it’s very scary when it’s coming near our house, near you,” she said.
However, she had been buoyed by the resilience of her people.
“[Ukrainians] believe in themselves, it’s very important. If we stop supporting each other we will stop being Ukrainians.”
The Kalibre is advertised by Russia as a precision guided cruise missile that is capable of mission planning similar to our Tomahawks, so standard procedure would be to plan the strike to avoid buildings near the target. Of course it’s possible the missiles and/or operators are not as good as advertised. It’s also possible the the Russians were using outdated targeting data, as the building was apparently brand new. Whatever the cause, Russia has been hitting civilian apartment buildings since the invasion started, and they don’t seem to care.
What gets me is how disagreeing with Zelensky equals supporting Putin. How disagreeing with how an attack occurred equals supporting Putin.
Stop putting people into boxes in which exploring ideas has zero to do with supporting or not supporting a leader. I think the Ukrainian govt is very corrupt and Zelensky is equally so. That has zero to do with Putin. Not sure why that is so hard for some to grasp.
Who are this apologists? And how did you come to the conclusion of this view? This reminds me of how the left would call anyone who supported Trump a whites supremist. Soon it was if you wore a Maga hat it was equated to a kkk white hood. It’s pretty flipping weird.
Do you understand that Putin is vile scum, as is any individual who supports, excuses, or considers justified his actions?
Of course I’ve read 1984, spare me the insult (or don’t, I do not care).
One can dislike Zelensky as much as one wishes; however stating that there is *ANY* justification for any of Russia’s actions within Ukraine marks one as no better than some brain dead communist wearing a Mao T-shirt or Bund member throwing a Sig Heil salute.
As are all the Ukie war cheerleaders. Rallying up the people for war, war, war is disgusting…
Agree on both. Both counties’ governments are as corrupt and vile as our Democrats are.
It’s the citizens of those countries who are being used as pawns in this d*ck measuring exercise I feel for.
Can you point me to where this is being said?
Yes, however Ukraine did not invade Russia.
It’s the invaders that are being condemned, and the vileness of this invasion has exactly zero to do with how corrupt the government of the victim is.
I have had neighbors who were a$$holes; that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to see any home invaders carried out in body bags.
Even on this thread! there are Russian trolls bloviating about the apartment building supposedly being next to a military facility, as well as Putinistas on plenty of threads justifying blowing up hospitals and apartment buildings because (probably in their fevered fascist minds, but even if they are right) defenders against the attackers were in there.
No shortage of people, unfortunately, who don’t see every single bit of death and destruction and entirely the fault of Putin and Russia.
Just as I learned long ago that debating with leftists is an exercise in futility, I have recently learned it is just as futile to attempt a rational discussion with a Zelensky fan.
Actually, I heard it on the leftie BBC broadcast.
First, there is a war going on. There will be casualties. So, let’s move past this obvious factor.
Second, because of this war, there will be bombings. Let’s move past this obvious. We all agree that it’s terrible.
Now, the question here is - how did these bombings occur? There have been documented evidence that Azov has taken over and are using residential Bldgs to lodge attacks from.
You can't tell the difference between an "apologist" and someone who merely want to have a factual discussion.
It's a trait of simplemindedness. If there is a fact that goes against the simple-minded narrative, then the teller must be roundly condemned.
I don't see how you can miss them.
This is a war of aggression and Ukraine is defending it's homeland.
Russia invaded a smaller, sovereign country and is indiscrimanantly killing civilians.
It is not about nato, nazis or biolabs.
It's about resources, territory and power.
Or a Putin one.
One can dislike Soros and Biden and the government of Ukraine while still regarding the invasion as the most egregious violation of the peace since the second World War.
Of course I’ve read 1984, spare me the insult (or don’t, I do not care).
—
You read it, but you failed to understand.
Welcome to urban combat. When Russian armor and troops are are assaulting residential areas, there is little choice on where to take cover. And thus far, almost every example I've seen presented as "fighting from an apartment building" is actually fighting from burned out, bombed out, unoccupied ruins of apartment buildings. Apartment buildings where people once lived, until Russia invaded and destroyed them. Russian forces have destroyed THOUSANDS of residential buildings in Ukraine, mostly with artillery from miles away. The knee-jerk "but nazis" is ridiculous twisting of who is to blame here. Ukrainians are desperately fighting for their country against a much more powerful and better equipped Russia that has invaded their country.
Yeah, but I don’t really see a lot of those on here, if any.
I see a lot of rabid Zelensky fans, their fervor bordering on obsession, screeching insults at people who aren’t in that fan club. They all tend to use the same tired insults, too. It’s kind of weird.
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