The war

It caught us treacherously. At the moment when we were watching your brightest dreams. Dreams about closest plans and daydreams. At 4 AM.

My wife woke up from the first explosions in Kyiv – the free European capital city.

I can’t believe that this is true because I thought that this is impossible in the 21st century. But messengers on my phone screamed scary words from my colleagues and friends – war.

Russia struck its first blows at Ukrainian cities.

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On the very first day, we saw the war with our own eyes. I have more than once admired the endless forest from the balcony of my flat on the 16th floor. Behind the green cap of this forest Irpin, Bucha and Gostomel blossomed every day.

On that day the picture was scary – russian fighter jets fired their missiles at our Gostomel. My brain refused to believe what we saw.

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On the same day, we went to our countryside house 50 km from Kyiv. It is situated between small Ukrainian towns Borodianka and Makariv.

We just started building it, so it was poorly adapted for a normal life. But the stove was warm and there was water in the well. So, it was quite good.

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The next day the war caught us again. It is hard to describe the fillings when an enemy fighter or bomber flies overhead. So low that it nearly touches tries in the wood.

11 days of constant bombing started. Borodianka, Makariv, nearby villages. Gradually we used to explosions and the brain stopped responding.

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We did not have a cellar, so there was nowhere to hide. So, I and my wife set next to each other and said: “If it flies then it flies. The main thing is that you are near.”

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On the third day, electricity and mobile coverage disappeared. We were in an informational vacuum. And it was the most depressing.

We were cooking on the fire. Our girls learned to make bread in a pan.

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One morning our neighbor told us that there are Russian tanks in the neighboring village. We decided that we won’t give up easily. I remembered that we had some gas and oil, so we can make some Molotov cocktails for our uninvited “guests”.

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Finally, our food started to run out. With our neighbors, we made a hard decision. We decided to go to the neighboring village across the field, risking every second to be in the open under enemy bullets. We have no choice. Thank God, we made it.

And I can say that we have amazing people! From every house, people brought us what they could give us – potatoes, milk, eggs, conservation. Country folk hugged us like family, and the wishes were the same - take care of yourself, stay alive and hold on. Everything will be ok. We will survive.

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On the 12th day, we were completely under siege. The orks were everywhere, in every adjacent village. They can come to us at any moment.

We decided to breakthrough.

We had to leave in a large convoy of 50 cars. At the last moment before living, we saw that our neighbor’s car was not in the convoy. A 5-year-old girl and an 85-year-old woman remained there. We came back. Enforced their gatherings. Moved out. But… Lagged behind the convoy.

It is a scary feeling when you rush along the empty roads, watching the enemy ambush. The smell of burnt rubber from your own car rushing on a road mutilated by enemy tanks. And a sigh of relief as white rags tied in the mirrors of our convoy cars flashed 15 minutes ahead.

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We left that hell. We survived. And still alive. And even in relative security in Western Ukraine.

The next day, about 20 houses in our country cooperative were destroyed by air raids. We still don't know if ours survived. Because we still can’t reach those people who stayed there.

We will rebuild everything.

We believe in God, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and we know that the truth is on our side.

We broke into the huge all-Ukrainian volunteer movement, which, like a large beehive, daily solves the urgent needs of our military, territorial defense, and ordinary peaceful Ukrainians, who find themselves in the occupation of an insidious and inhumane enemy. An enemy in which there is nothing sacred. An enemy that has nothing to do with the concept of Man. Because these are not people. And not even animals. Because even animals do not behave like them.

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Thousands of people die every day in Ukraine from Russian shelling. And it hurts a lot. Worse than that is the news that one of your relatives, friends, and colleagues has died.

There is no forgiveness for this. There is no pity for the enemy. Only hatred and disgust.

But we will win.

Because we are UKRAINIANS. We are a FREE NATION.

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