MARIUPOL, Ukraine(Washington Insider Magazine) – A 33-year-old history teacher stays in Ukraine’s southeastern port city, Mariupol, to look for youngsters stuck there during the violence.
The important port city is in shambles. Water and food are short, stores have been stolen, petrol costs more than 30 times what it did 2 weeks ago, while corpses have been left on the roads without being cleared.
“I stay in town no matter what. I said I won’t leave my children even if I’m killed,” Oleksiya Kayokhtin, who has taught history in Mariupol for 10 years, told ABC News.
A maternity department and children’s hospital in the city were devastated by a Russian attack on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Maria Zakharova, a spokesman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, disputed that Russian soldiers attacked the hospital, claiming that Ukrainian troops were using it as a fire platform.
Kayokhtin spoke to ABC News while standing close to a mobile tower, which is currently the sole way to get a cellphone signal in Mariupol.
Attacks became more intense shortly after, and Russian forces grabbed control of parts of the city’s roadways. Despite several of his friends telling him to flee and offering assistance, Kayokhtin stated he refused to quit the area. Instead, he asserted he began looking for means to ensure safety of children who had not been evacuated.
He claimed they brought the children, along with senior and disabled persons, to the bomb shelter with the help of a local entrepreneur who owns a large bomb shelter.
He said that there are currently 400 children, 100 of whom are disabled and use wheelchairs.
Buildings have been left in shambles as a result of shelling, and many people have died or been buried beneath debris, leaving some children stranded on the grounds. Kayokhtin claims to be the one who transports these youngsters to the refuge.
The immediate requirement, according to Kayokhtin, is to provide food and warm clothing for all of the individuals in the shelter.
Prices have risen as a result of the plundered businesses and restricted highways, making it extremely challenging for Kayokhtin, his children, and everybody left in town to live.
Another challenge, he added, is getting out of their bunker to search and buy food, which brings them into touch with armed soldiers on the street. He also mentioned that procuring fuel is tough.
However, these aren’t his only worries.
According to the history teacher, he was assisted by 2 other individuals who remained with him in the bunker, a healthcare worker and a driver, both of whom were volunteers.
He claims that all they want is for the war to end so that they don’t have to escape the nation and their kids are protected.
