Last week, Ukrainian fire killed another three people in the Russian region of Belgorod, bordering Ukraine. An announcement from the governor of this regularly hit territory, where fortifications are under construction. Russian television for a few days has been talking about the possibility that the Ukrainian army will cross the border, adding to an already heavy climate.
From our special correspondent in Chebekino and Belgorod,
A dozen soldiers on a tank which doubles at full speed, in the middle of the city, buses and private cars; two completely destroyed buildings where only the walls resisted the Ukrainian strikes: welcome to Chebekino, eight kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Until now, the name of the city was mainly associated with that of its pasta factory, an inexpensive brand with a red logo found everywhere on the shelves of supermarkets in the country. Today, when his name is displayed on the small screens, it is to speak of the dead, the wounded and the shootings, which we regularly hear resounding. ” Do you hear that? We, that’s it, we learned to recognize which country the shooting starts from. When it comes from here or when it comes from there “, explains the seller of the small bazaar in the center of the city.
In the market, now few customers, all scared since a month ago, a Ukrainian strike completely destroyed the store just across the road: “ It was a pyrotechnics store that they shot twice. Firecrackers started popping, flew in different directions. There was the heat, the smell of gunpowder and then the fire moved to the shop, there was a smell of plastic, acrid black smoke. It was impossible to breathe, people in panic were running and screaming. There were injuries, including a girl who shielded her ears and received some kind of shrapnel in her arm. It was scary to see all this. »
The creation of anti-bombing shelters
40 kilometers away, Belgorod, the capital of the eponymous region, and Evgeni, a resident of the airport district – now closed to civilian traffic – who has registered with the territorial defense brigade. For the past few weeks, he has been learning to use a gun and has also created an anti-bombing shelter in the cellars of his building.
” Here, as often in the cellars, there were a lot of old things lying around. But now we’ve cleaned it all upexplains Evgeni. Come see, here we stack firewood just in case. There, everything was cleared to install benches. And there, we are already starting to organize the spaces that are empty, with mattresses. We have everything organized, with shelves and cupboards. Here’s a military stove, here’s 100 liters of water. Canned food, in quantity, it is even homemade canned food. Everything is ready, absolutely everything. It’s just in case. »
Evgeni also deals with Ukrainians who have evacuated from the Kharkiv region. Alexander and Irina have been in the area since April: “ It was terrifying there. I was even afraid to fall asleep at night. My little girl would come with me, or else she would hide in the toilet or under the table and say to me “Mom, I’m scared, I’m very very very scared”. But how to tell a child that her mother is even more afraid than her? So here in Belgorod, frankly, nothing is scary anymore. After all we’ve been through, nothing scares us anymore. “Irina’s fourth child will be born in a few weeks in the city, when some inhabitants, worried and frightened, try to leave her.
