Survivor of the Izium Occupation

This is an interview I did with a survivor of the Izium occupation by the Russians. The battle started in March 2022 for control of the town of Izium due to the town's importance as a transportation node. The Russian military wanted to capture Izium so its forces in the Kharkiv Oblast could link up with their troops in the Donbas region.

On 10 September 2022, Ukrainian forces recaptured the town during the 2022 Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive and local mass graves with 440 bodies were found. Izium's population decreased to just 10,000 due to the war.

This woman took care of dogs that she found and risked her life to feed them. The Russians flew over at low levels with helicopters and gunners. She had to stay calm and focus on feeding the dogs and tending to the gardens. If she ran, they would gun her down.

This woman is an animal lover and put us up for the night in her house while we were volunteering in Izium with our clinic to spay/neuter and vaccinate the stray dogs and cats. With hardly anything for herself, she insisted on making us breakfast and dinner. I asked her about her experience during the occupation.

There were a lot of scary moments, but what was the scariest?

Woman: For me, the worst thing was when they bombed with planes. When the missiles flew it’s not so scary, but the planes, when they are over the house and the house is shaking it’s horrible. Five planes took off from Belgorod or Luhansk and flew in different directions. Then they came back. The basement will not save you from the bombs, so it was scary.

How often was it?

Woman: Every morning, at lunchtime. Twice or three times during the day and again at night. In Izium it lasted a week. Then they flew all the time, but bombed other places. You don't know whether it will be your city or someone else's, so you hide anyway.

The regions near Izium, where our Ukrainian soldiers were, Russians hit especially hard. There was no living place left from Kremyants.

How destroyed is Izyum by what percentage?

Woman: I won't tell you in percents, but if you just look around. There is no house, there is no house. There is simply no whole house under the foundation. and so on.

How many times did the Russians rotate?

Woman: About three or four. I think every two weeks. The first ones stood for the longest time, and then every two weeks. So many of them died! I heard that when they were taken away, 100 people remained from the entire platoon.

There were Russians, Buryats, Moldovans among them. This Moldavian got drunk, undressed to the waist, took a machine gun. So, I told him, "Why are you trying to pretend to be a sex symbol?"

When did it all start for you?

Woman: From 3 March. You can even look on the phone, because the connection began to disappear.

It lasted until September 9. Well, they kept us closed from a half to two weeks and didn’t let anyone evacuate. That’s because they tried to evacuate the equipment, but they abandoned a bunch of everything. They threw the gun, they threw the armored personnel carrier.

The Russians just ran away. Although not so many of our soldiers entered, Russians were afraid of our guys. Some even sitting and waiting to be taken prisoner.

What are you planning to do next?

Woman: I don't know. I want my relatives to come, I will earn somehow. I will grow plants.

How many people lived here before the war?

Woman: My memory is bad after the bombings. I think that were 45 thousand people.

How many people are left in the city now?

Woman: About 15 thousand. (note: only 10,000 left)

A lot of people died. including heart attacks and strokes. Someone hanged himself. A lot of people just starting be crazy. I once thought: to die only once. We'll die someday anyway. If it is given to live more, then so be it.

She still had her bathtub filled with water, which was her main source. The elecricity was back on...partially. She lived in her basement during the occupation without gas, electricity or water. She lived off her garden.

Our next UWARF mission starts March 5 in the following locations (we will adjust based on safety and intel we receive):

Vorotnikov

Malaya Danilivka, 150 animals

Vysokoe/Metefa 50 animals

Shevchenkovo (150-200 animals)

Kherson ("Korabelniy ostrov")

Nicopol (350 animals)

Slavyansk (100 animals)

Can you please help by donating $44 to spay/neuter, vaccinate, microchip and care for the dog or cat until it can be adopted or released?

https://gofund.me/0302c0aa