ERR in Mykolaiv: Mayor says Russian bombardment indiscriminate
The city of Mykolaiv has also come under attack from Russia in recent weeks. Mayor Oleksandr Senkevich told ERR correspondents in Ukraine that while the Russians are shelling the city indiscriminately, the locals will not surrender.
Wednesday has been relatively quiet in the city, especially compared to the situation a few days earlier when the local psychiatric hospital took a bomb hit. Luckily, only the hospital's administrative building that was empty at the time was hit. Neighboring residential buildings were also damaged in the blast, with residents scrambling to fix their roofs.
Mykolaiv has always been a predominantly Russian-speaking city, while the local Russians have no sympathy for the Russian Federation today.
"We led a normal, quiet life. There are many pensioners living in our courtyard. There are almost no men left, they all went to war. The women and elderly stayed. But now we have all lost our home. What could our attitude toward them possibly be when they've destroyed our lives and homes? We are sitting in destroyed homes with no work and no money. We are being fired on, the sound of air raid sirens is constant. Is that any way to live? What attitude could we have for them?" Marina said.
Hotel Ingul, located near the hospital, was still intact a few days ago. It took a missile hit on Monday.
"There was no military equipment here, not a single soldier. The hotel was empty save for myself and a security guard. /…/ We simply crawled out from under the wreckage," hotel manager Artur said.
Another Russian missile hit a residential building on Tuesday evening.
"We did not hear that one coming. Suddenly, the windows started to implode and dishes to disintegrate. We walked outside and saw the mangled balcony. The entire second floor had collapsed," Julia described, adding that two women lost their lives in the attack.
Oleg escaped his ordeal. "We went to a nearby bomb shelter when the curfew came into effect. When we returned, everything had been destroyed. I don't know… I don't look like a soldier and my home did not look like a military base," he said.
"Russian forces have been bombing Mykolaiv and destroying its infrastructure for three weeks. Around 300 buildings have been partially and 30 completely destroyed. This building can no longer be repaired and will have to be demolished. We are being bombed indiscriminately," Mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Senkevich said.
The Ukrainian army has stopped the Russian advance on Mykolaiv and launched a counteroffensive in the past few days.
"As concerns Mykolaiv, we will stay here until the very last cartridge. Soldiers and residents stand ready to fight off any attack. We will not surrender. I think that all the Russians who come here will die," Senkevich said.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski