By Vitalii Hnidyi
NEAR VOVCHANSK, Ukraine (Reuters) – Residents of a Ukrainian border town, frustrated and angry over an armored ground attack by Russian troops trying to gain a foothold, were evacuated from their homes on Friday with an uncertain future.
Authorities rounded up dozens of residents of Vovchansk and surrounding villages during breaks in fighting and took them to an undisclosed location where they waited for buses to take them to safety.
“We are leaving because we are dying of the ‘Russian world,'” said Valerii Dubskyi, 60, referring to Russia’s conception of extending Moscow’s influence beyond its borders.
“It can go to hell, with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and their authorities. They are our enemies. They have tested every type of weapon on us, except the nuclear bomb.”
Dubskyi said he hadn’t eaten in 24 hours. Even fetching water from a well was impossible under the incessant torrent of bombing.
“During bombings, you either rush into the basement or out of the basement,” he explained. “Back and forth.”
Groups of evacuees sat on benches, clutching handfuls of belongings, bags tightly packed next to them on the ground.
Volunteers compiled lists of evacuees. Meals in plastic boxes were distributed.
Halyna Ukrainyk, holding a cat in her arms as she waited for her bus, said the shelling began around 3 a.m. the day before. She and others were confined in a cellar.
“A street is totally destroyed. Bombing,” she said. “It’s horrible what’s happening there. It’s impossible to stay there.”
Antonina Kornuta, from the nearby village of Buhaivka, said most people’s thoughts were with the younger evacuees.
“It’s very scary,” she said. “I have grandchildren, children. It’s about their lives. I don’t want to leave.”
The evacuees, accompanied by at least one dog, quietly joined the waiting vehicles.
Oleksii Kharkivsky, head of the Vovchansk police patrol, said Russian forces appeared intent on destroying the city.
“In 24 hours there were probably several hundred artillery shots, mines and dozens of cluster bombs,” he said.
“They are destroying the city, they are trying to enter the area. But there are no enemy troops in the city.”
For Dubsky, however orderly the departure was, there was still something unreal about it.
“I want to pinch myself because I think it’s not real, just a nightmare. But it’s really okay,” he said. “I thought old age would be a quiet time. But look at him. And there are millions more like me, thanks to Putin.”
(This story has been refiled to correct the byline)
(Writing by Margaryta Chornokondratenko and Ron Popeski; editing by Leslie Adler)
