Nicholas Tonev
Russia has promised to open humanitarian corridors this Tuesday morning to allow thousands of civilians to flee the main cities of the country, under the fire of Russian artillery for almost two weeks. In Kiev, our special envoy on the spot, Nicolas Tonev, met residents who are trying to flee in the face of incessant bombardments and gunfire.
Russia has promised to open humanitarian corridors this Tuesday morning to allow thousands of civilians to flee the main cities of Ukraine, under the fire of Russian artillery for almost two weeks, after several attempts that remained without a future. Thousands of Ukrainians are waiting for the shelling to stop to flee. But in certain areas, such as in the northwest of the capital, the Russian attack no longer leaves the choice to the populations who must leave under the bombs. Our special correspondent on the spot met some of these inhabitants in the suburbs of Kiev.
Incessant bombings
The car is launched at full speed when the front line is announced. No ceasefire, therefore, but the first evacuees are there, straight ahead. “Today, we take our things and go to Kiev because at home everything is broken: the windows, the windows…”, explains a Ukrainian. “They’ve been bombing since February 24, the start of the war. It’s been bombing all the time.”
After driving a little longer to enter Irpin, you have to continue on foot, in the middle of the panic. “With planes or whatever is possible, it bombs. We can no longer live there, on this earth”, breathes another. A noise rings out, it’s a sniper. A woman runs with a child in her arms and is helped by a soldier. “Don’t stop, it’s shooting!” he shouts at her. “I take the child.”
“They fired a lot, a lot,” notes the frightened mother. Refugees get on the buses and move away, but the front is approaching. Irpin, crushed under the bombs, is close to breaking.