“They haven’t eaten bread for six months.” They are finally free – O2

After the liberation of another village in the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian soldiers went to abandoned Russian positions. There, they spoke with locals about their experiences in recent months.

Until February 24, the population of Kochubeivka, just 6 kilometers from the Russian border, was about 800. To this day, nearly half of the population has survived. The rest, understandably, went to safer places.

As recorded witnesses say, the Russian occupiers, fleeing from the Ukrainian armed forces, left behind not only their own equipment and documents, but also mines. In the area occupied by the invaders a few days ago, you can easily see completely destroyed roads, burnt cars or abandoned houses. Despite the very difficult situation, some people decided to stay here.

I was born here and will die here, says Ludmica Wasiliona, a resident of Kochupioca.

The woman reports that she did not receive a pension for seven months because there was no active post office in the area during the occupation. Signorca admits that her relatives must have subsisted on pancakes and pasta. The woman adds: “When our boys came, they gave us bread.” Her 12-year-old grandson Andrej admits that he “had very little bread,” which he hadn’t eaten in…six months.

Children in the liberated village are not yet receiving an education, but this is expected to change soon. Defenders of Ukraine are trying to create conditions for the local population as soon as possible so that their lives, after several months of torment, finally get back on track.