Warning: these stories depict graphic violence. Read at your own risk. Credit to Inga Zakrevska for gathering this important information.
The Attack on Vinnytsia City Center:
Russia launched a targeted attack on the city center of Vinnytsia. They intentionally used high-precision “Kalibr” missiles. The rockets were meant to hit the city center, and specifically a shopping mall full of people, around 1 pm.
A young mother, Irina, went on a walk with her little daughter, Eliza, who was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Eliza’s parents were trying to stay positive and gather money for treatment, but all of their plans and hopes ended within a minute. The child died right away with no chances of survival upon the impact of the missile strike and her mother’s leg was ripped off. Unfortunately, Irina died in the hospital because of the sustained injuries.
As of 5 pm, July 14th: 21 people were killed (3 of them are kids), 115 people were injured, 54 people were hospitalized, 34 sustained life threatening injuries, and 46 were lost with no ability to be reached.
Violence in Bucha:
The news about the Bucha village quickly made headlines, then promptly disappeared into oblivion. The lawful genocide of disarmed Ukrainian citizens stripped people away from their homes, lives, and families and left nothing but agony and suffering.
On February 25th, Russian troops surrounded Bucha and controlled it throughout March. Finally, on April 1st, the Ukrainian army managed to get in. However, the city resembled a ruin rather than a place that flourished and was a home for thousands of people. 35 people were found in the basements of a children's camp, and more than 60 other people were thrown into a pit. Only 20 of those who died were members of the armed forces; the rest were civilians. Additionally, over a thousand people were brutally murdered. The bodies were everywhere: on the streets, in parks, buildings, and cars.
Those who made it out alive shared some of the events with the press. Volodymir Pilgutskiy witnessed how his neighbor, Pavel Vlasenko, was stopped by the Russian soldiers for wearing green pants that resembled “the uniform of armed forces.” Even though he had his passport, no one listened to him. He was immediately put into a van, and later his body was discovered with severe burn marks all over it, indicating that he was tortured. Tatiana Nedashkovskaya shared how she had to bury her husband: he was found dead alongside his friends; when he was walking up to his apartment, Russian soldiers caught him. Civilians that wished to remain anonymous testified to a murder of a journalist: “He only raised his arms.” However, it did not mean anything to the Russian occupants; the next minute he was dead. And there are countless other stories like this.
Izyum:
After Izyum was finally free from Russian occupation, more than a hundred wooden crosses were discovered. Most of them did not even carry a name, just numbers that represented countless bodies of innocent civilians and soldiers, some of them tortured. Their hands were tied, and burn marks were covering half of their bodies. Some of the people passed away due to constant shootings and the inability to access a fundamental right of every human being: medical care.
Four hundred and fifty graves were found, and the area only covered the border of the city of Izyum. War leaves nothing but death and destruction after it, forcing people out of their homes.
Some refugees leave their homeland fighting for their lives with nothing but a backpack and documents, and sometimes even without that. It's a tragic escape in search of a place to find safety. Countless wars quickly fade from the news without providing enough knowledge and resources for those who need to be helped.