Russia had already planned how it would destroy Ukraine’s humanitarian infrastructure before the attack began, says Brovar’s mayor. visited one of the largest cold stores in Europe.
BROVARI, UKRAINE The sight is depressing. One of the largest food stores in Europe is in ruins.
The mayor of Brovar, near Kiev, is convinced that Russia had planned a strike even before the war began.
– There had been a war for three days when the missile destroyed this food supply. The blow was no accident, Ihor Sapoško says.
The attack destroyed about 50,000 tons of food. According to the mayor, Russia also hit other food depots in Brovar on the same day.
– From here, large retail chains distributed food throughout Ukraine.
According to the mayor, Russia sought to paralyze Ukrainians by destroying infrastructure such as food distribution.
Russia has sought to destroy fuel depots and airports across Ukraine, but also humanitarian infrastructure such as hospitals. The aim is to force Ukraine to surrender.
Fighting ten miles away
Although a month has passed since the destruction of the cold store, there is a scum of burnt metal in the air. Spoiled food can be felt in the nostrils. There are still small packages of cheese and other familiar foods in the area.
– After all, this could have caused a serious environmental problem. We had to get rid of huge amounts of food before they leaked into the environment. There were a lot of frozen products in the cold store, says Mayor Sapoško.
Brovary is a suburb of the capital of Ukraine, Kiev, in the northeast. In the first days of the war, Russian troops managed to advance from Belarus to Brovary.
In Brovary, Ukrainian troops halted progress and helped save Kiev.
– Russia struck many civilian targets in the first days of the war. People’s homes and production facilities, says the mayor.
Now fighting is taking place about ten kilometers from Brovar.
The mayor, dressed in a military uniform, is convinced that Ukraine will sooner or later win the defensive battle.
– We know and understand where the enemy is moving. We quietly destroy the enemy and free the occupied villages. They have already realized that it would not have been worthwhile to come here, Ihor Sapoško says.
You can discuss the topic on Wednesday, March 30th. until 11 p.m.