“Where did you get the humanitarian aid?”, an elderly woman calls me, trying to get to me as quickly as possible and pointing to a large bag in my hand with food and hygiene products.”
“We distribute it”, I answer, but the woman, as if not having heard, instinctively climbs into the bag with her hands and eyes.
She finds toothpaste there, takes it out, presses it to her chest and with eyes like the cat from ‘Shrek’ says, “Could you give me some, please?”.
“Take the whole package, hold it!”
Imagine a place where no one needs money. Because it can’t buy anything. Because there is nothing to spend it on.
This is the city of Kupyansk. A month ago, Russian troops were driven out of it. A week ago, the corpses of enemies were removed from the streets.
There is still no electricity, water, or gas. As there are no people on the streets. Because they have nowhere to go. There are no pharmacies, no shops, no hospitals, no schools, no public transport – nothing. Therefore, if something even makes sounds on the streets, it is either the cars on which our military drives, or sounds of ammunition going in or out as the fighting near the city is still going on.
We drove two buses of humanitarian aid here. All the time I was handing out packages to people, I tried to somehow entertain them, joke, say warm words, wish them health, but in vain. People in a depressed state can not respond in the same way. Only constant questions like “Do you have soap?”, “Do you have coffee? We haven’t had it for so long”, “Please look for matches, we can’t do without them”, “Do you have sweets? Give it to me, please, the children are asking for it”.
Here in Kyiv, when they turn off the light or water for half a day, it seems to some that it is already the apocalypse. But the apocalypse on the planet earth today is in the de-occupied territories of Kharkiv region, where electricity is not repaired, because there are still tripwires between the poles left by the Russians. Here, where cigarettes cost like gold, where it is impossible to get to some areas, and in some there is no connection at all, so once you get there, you can only be found through shouting.
But be that as it may, Kharkiv region is Ukraine. And glory to the Armed Forces for this 🇺🇦
