Original post: https://www.facebook.com/andrey.sysoev/posts/10158866576183379
One day of being held hostage
Or of the captivity, or of the encirclement. I don’t know what it’s called correctly.
This is the second time I’ve deleted the video that Facebook does not allow. I’m sorry.
This is a piece of history of my most loved ones and me.
Thank you to every loved one who writes, calls, and asks. I want to answer all of you! I am writing in Russian so that Russians and Belarusians can read without translation, do something and not answer that they are “out of politics.”
My two daughters, Nastia and Evelina, my wife Elena, and I were surrounded (held hostage) by Russian occupants in my apartment (townhouse) in Gostomel from 7 am to 5 pm on February 25, 2022.
They broke out the windows and broke into 2 neighboring (through the wall) townhouses and “entrenched” there, making headquarters by breaking the walls on the other side of the driveway and windows. They lined up a column of vehicles in our driveway very close to our houses, thereby blocking the exits. They knocked on our house while we were hiding under the stairs. We were afraid to “breathe.” We were afraid of being bombarded and shot. My wife, a group 2 disabled (with a cane in her hands, can’t walk well, diabetes, adhesions, polyneuropathy, and asthma) came out to them. They insisted on coming in, she begged them not to come in. God saved her that second.
APCs and covered trucks blocked the entire driveway, blocking our exit, cars, and driveways. They settled in our yard, a yard next door, and behind the mall across from my windows.
Through small openings in the curtains and without getting too close, we “peeped” at them several times and heard their conversations and radios. We sat in the shower room, cherishing the precious moments together, every second.
There was gunfire all day, machine-gun fire, single shots, the noise of some “rustlers”, and very loud explosions.
We were chatting with neighbors via Viber. Several people went to them to make arrangements to get children and women out. They responded, “Of course, we’ll let you out, have no fear. We came to defend you, but know this: We have orders to shoot at all vehicles that are on the road. And those who are further along the road will shoot at you. We are not leaving here. This is our point.”
To get you geographically oriented: this is the road from the destroyed bridge in Gostomel, Warshavka. That’s where our Ukrainians shot the equipment on the bridge, where the fried occupants lie on the video. That’s where their carriage vehicle was on fire near the Fora (shopping center). That’s where were shot six cars with civilians, who could not “get out” of Kyiv, which is heroically holding its ground under the onslaught of the Russian horde/orcs = fascists! They were shot at from our townhouse, the neighboring townhouse, or the woods in front of the house.
There are no words to describe the experience of being a hostage with your children. When on the left, on the right, and in your yard are their headquarters, and you are afraid to think that our Ukrainians will hit the “target” with something heavy. Especially when those who left ask to share their [russians] location in the chat of our house, and you feel “indescribable” when you read in the chat, “all is well, we reported their location.”
Yes, this is a war. Yes, there are already huge civilian casualties, and there will be more. Yes this is the price for our victory. But when you and your family are there, no words, just prayers.
Somewhere around 5 pm, there were several strong explosions, machine-gun bursts, the noise of machinery, and within minutes they blew up smoke bombs and fled.
Once they were gone, I ran out to look around , and another miracle happened, both of our cars were intact, even though the ones of our neighbors next door were vandalized. The kids and I threw the things we could grab into the cars and drove away.
We spent the night at a relative’s house on the outskirts of Gostomel.
On the morning of the 26th, we decided to leave the front line.
I will make a long story short: on the road through Bucha, Gostomel, Irpen, and Vorzel, we managed to stop and take my friend’s mother and family with a 2-year-old daughter.
We drove out under explosions and sounds of aircraft, huddling against fences every time.
Our Gostomel was one of the first to be invaded before the Territorial Defense could be formed. Now there is a humanitarian disaster, people are held hostage, and there is no light, water, food, gas, or heat.
Every life is priceless!!! We were able to pick up one more family on the way further.
And when my wife cries that everything was left at home, we take solace in the fact that we were able to take with us our LIFES, which are much more important than all the things and our house, for which we still owe the bank.
All my life, I have studied, worked, and developed the economy and finances of Ukraine. I finally started living in my own house, where the landlord did not rebuke me for having small children or animals which could ruin the furniture. And now, because of the fascist fanatic Putin, we are forced to “run away.”
I will write at once that I was released from Ukraine and that I did not give bribes to anyone. Why was I released:
- I am not obliged in wartime. They stamped it in my passport when they took away my military ID;
- I have 2 underage children and a spouse with a “group 2” disability (for life) on prescription drugs.
Sorry that I left, my heart is breaking. They [my family] can’t physically take care of themselves without me.
I am not a military man, but I can think, speak, write, organize, and count. I help our Motherland and our people from the rear.
I was born in Makiivka, Donetsk region. Until 2014 I spoke only Russian. Never, and no one in my 40 years has rebuked me for speaking Russian. Since 2014 I mastered Ukrainian. Now, I strongly do not want to hear the Russian speech of the occupants.
If anyone needs a place to stay overnight or for a long time in Romania, please contact me. We will look for options.
Putin, I’m ready to testify against you, your accomplices, and the military at The Hague Tribunal, where fascism was condemned. I collect photo and video evidence of how you and your army held me hostage like thousands of Ukrainians. I know that you believed you were “all-powerful” when you got away with Crimea and Donbas, but your victories are over. I hope that you will be judged posthumously like Hitler and that your army and your comrades-in-arms will kill you like your idol, Stalin!!!
Glory to Ukraine.
