'We started to suffocate'. Report from Vyshneve, where Russian attack incinerated entire streets
“I saved money, I built, I believed — now I have become homeless,” says Ihor Ivanov, a resident of the Kyiv suburb of Vyshneve, as he looks at the house a Russian attack turned into a charred ruin.
Overnight into July 6, Russia struck his town. Fire engulfed entire streets: dozens of private homes burned or were destroyed, and civilians were killed and injured. Even several hours after the attack, acrid smoke hung in the air, munitions continued to detonate, and rescuers kept clearing debris, extinguishing hotspots, and searching for people.
“I knew that sooner or later we would be hit, because it is not the first time [we were hit] here. They constantly missed. But sooner or later, I knew that we would be hit. I just did not think that [it would be now],” Ihor Ivanov said.
The only thing left intact in his house was the outdoor shower. And the car — because he had managed to move it farther away that morning.
“I was still renovating the house. I made a nice roof, poured the floor. I built a cast-iron grill — it just got roasted inside the house. That is how it is,” Ihor said.
Another resident of Vyshneve regrets the property he had acquired — he did not give his name and only noted about himself that “whoever knows, knows.”
“The children were in the basement. They called and said we were burning,” he said. “I drove over. No one was putting out the fire here. Shrapnel was flying. I calmed them as best I could. ... I bought everything new and had not even worn it. I thought, I am going to retire and will rest.”
While some people tried to save at least a few belongings, others were fighting to save their own lives. When the explosions began, some hid in their own basements, but even there they did not feel safe.
“We did not manage to reach the bomb shelter. As we were moving, we saw that detonation had started,” Ivan Kyrylov said. “Explosions began and so on. There were so many explosions. We moved to our cellar and sat there most of the time. ... After some time, the smog started to penetrate downward, and we started to suffocate. Then we got up and moved to another location.”
According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, the Russian attack destroyed about 100 private houses. As of the morning of July 7, seven people were known to have been killed and 26 injured, including two children.
The minister also said roughly 500 people were evacuated from the dangerous area. But some residents later returned to their homes to find documents and assess the scale of the destruction.
“Our family will manage with our own resources,” Ivan Kyrylov said. His family had not heard about the evacuation and did not leave.“We have relatives in this town. We will stay with them for some time, and then we will solve this problem radically.”
Law enforcement opened a criminal investigation into the attack on Vyshneve. Priority investigative actions are underway. Officers are documenting the consequences of the airstrike and establishing all the circumstances.
hromadske visited Vyshneve immediately after the Russian attack to show the scale of the destruction, to see how rescuers work amid fires and detonating munitions, and to hear the stories of people who lost everything in a single night. Watch the report on hromadske’s YouTube channel.
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