Faced with the advance of Russian troops and especially the intensity of bombings in the region since the Russians opened a new front there on May 10, many Ukrainians in the border areas have had to flee their homes to take refuge in Kharkiv. The second largest Ukrainian city has opened several centers to help the displaced.
3 mins
With our special correspondents in Kharkiv, Nathanaël Vittrant And Bertrand Haeckler with Andrii Kolesnyk
It was in a reception center in the suburbs of Kharkiv that residents of the surrounding villages found refuge. Some have had to evacuate, others are preparing for a possible advance of Russian troops. A family is packing things into a car before heading home. A lady indicates that “ a shell fell in the middle of the entrance ” in his appartment. Moved, she explains that “ there is no more roof “. “ Everything collapsed. We don’t even have clothes anymore. »
Oleg is a mechanic. He is 27 years old and comes from a village not far from the Russian border. “ There are constant bombings, artillery fire, S300 missiles, drones… Everything that can fly is falling on us. Everything had already been destroyed during the first wave, but it’s happening again. Seeing all this is very morally hard. » Oleg assures that he will return home as soon as possible. “ Nothing will make me leave forever “, he assures.
Zoya is a teacher. She is 59 years old and also had to leave her village. She lives near Kupiansk, southeast of Kharkiv, less than 40 kilometers from the Russian border. “ Red Cross volunteers came to pick us up yesterday to bring us here. We were given something to eat and drink. We are very grateful for the help we receiveshe relates. My husband is dead. So with my niece, we took all the children with us. They are so small, we had to leave “, she says, invaded by “ fear » that the current battle arouses at home. “ Tell them, Franceto help us end this war as quickly as possible! “, she says.
At the moment, around fifty people come to this center every day. A week ago, it welcomed ten times more refugees.
Deadly attack on a store in Kharkiv
Kharkiv also remains the target of attacks. The death toll from the Russian strike on the large DIY store Epicent in Kharkiv on Saturday May 25 continues to rise, reaching sixteen dead. An attack described as “ vile » by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Read alsoUkraine: heavy toll after a Russian strike on a hypermarket in Kharkiv
Returned to the scene of the fire this Monday morning, Nathanaël Vittrant explains that the Epicent sign is still standing, but that “ everything else went up in smoke “. Firefighters continue to clear a blackened pile of ruins in the hope of finding bodies.
In this residential area, another bomb fell in a park, without exploding. Later Saturday afternoon, another attack near a post office left several dozen injured. Russian propaganda suggested there was an ammunition depot or Ukrainian army command center hidden in the store struck on Saturday. In the rubble this Monday morning, we could mainly see charred shopping carts and the remains of a washing machine among shreds of metal.