Story of doctor from Kyiv whose house was hit by Russian missile pieces
Pravda Ukraine
Pieces of downed Russian ballistic missiles hit several high-rise buildings in Kyiv and caused destruction and fire on the night of 12-13 December.
Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia (Life) managed to talk to a resident of the affected building on Ostafiia Dashkevycha Street. She is Olena Lutska, a paediatrician and paediatric infectious disease specialist.
The woman has now started a fundraiser to help people who have been injured and left homeless by the Russian attack.
The woman said that the explosions occurred at night, when all the people were sleeping.
“There were two explosions. I woke up after the first one, and it seemed to have happened very close by, and during the next one, my front door was blown open by the blast wave and I saw that the neighbours’ apartment was on fire. The power went out. Cars were exploding near the house. My husband and I were shouting at people to come out of their apartments and into the street. I was very afraid that our house might collapse,” she said.
Olena Lutska added that people were screaming, running barefoot through the rubble, and covered in blood.
“My 8-year-old daughter was also very scared and crying. There was no electricity, but in a matter of seconds, I dressed my child, took the dogs and we quickly went outside. I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to get out because the house was on fire.
My husband stayed behind to look for the cat. When we finally got out into the yard, I didn’t immediately know where to go, as cars were burning everywhere and kept exploding,” Olena continues.
Currently, residents of the affected high-rise building cannot return to their homes. The building is being inspected for structural damage.
Olena Lutska noted that all services worked very quickly. “Ambulances and firefighters arrived very soon after the strike. And the utility company spent the whole following day cleaning up the pieces and covering the windows with film.
Now the woman has announced a fundraiser to help the affected residents.
“I was asked to open an account because I am a doctor and people know and trust me, but I don’t take care of the whole building, just a few families I know and I know how much they suffered. If there is any money left, I will give it to other people,” she says.
One of the residents of the building that Olena has started to help is Olha, a primary school teacher. All the windows in her apartment were smashed, and her furniture and other belongings are in shards of glass. The front door was jammed and she could not get out. She was lucky that her neighbours broke it down.
In addition, Olena said that journalist Tetiana Lohvynenko was injured in the explosion. All the windows in her apartment were blown out, and shrapnel cut her face and head. Tetiana’s mother was severely injured when she was thrown into another room by the blast wave. She is currently in hospital.
A fire broke out in the apartment of other neighbours of Olena Lutska because of the strike.
“My neighbour, Valentyna, was badly injured, and she is currently in the neurosurgery department. She has a severe head injury and has undergone surgery. When I saw her after the explosion, she was covered in blood and looking for her dog,” Olena states.
For those who want to help these people, here is a link to the monobank.
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