Thread by @brenna__smith

As Russian forces pushed toward Kyiv, they stormed an apartment complex in a nearby suburb and held residents hostage. The New York Times spoke with seven people who escaped and obtained security camera footage and witness videos. nytimes.com/2022/03/20/wor…

From the first day of the war in Ukraine, the residents of the Pokrovsky apartments in Hostomel watched from their homes as Russian forces attacked nearby Antonov Airport. A fleet of attack helicopters fired missiles, and day-by-day the fighting drew closer.

Then, on March 3, the eighth day of the war, soldiers came to their doors. The residents watched their closed-circuit television as tanks and troops arrived outside. “We didn't know what could happen to us,” one said. “It was just a total state of fear.”

The footage showed at least a dozen Russian troops, some carrying heavy machine guns, riding in infantry fighting vehicles, and forcing a man inside at gunpoint. Eventually, more than 100 soldiers captured the area.

The Russians trapped about 200 residents, holding some of them hostage in basements, forcing them to hand over their phones and preventing them from leaving for days.

Soldiers went floor-by-floor through some buildings, tore down doors and raided apartments. “They told us - ‘Don't be mad at us, but if we find your phone, you will be shot on the spot,’” resident Elena Anishchenko said.

For residents trapped in the basement, the ability to move around depended on the guards in their building. Some could freely go back to their apartments for food and supplies. Others could only go on supervised visits with soldiers.

One resident recalled a more senior Russian officer trying to comfort a girl in the basement where they were detained: “He said, ‘My daughter is 8 years old too. I love her very much. I miss her. Don't be afraid, little girl, we will liberate you from Nazis.’”

When Russia and Ukraine agreed to open brief humanitarian corridors, the Russian soldiers didn’t tell their prisoners. Those who escaped learned by chance — a brief look out a window or a stolen glance at a WhatsApp message on a hidden phone.

All the residents The Times spoke with have now escaped the complex. And yet, the soldiers stayed. Satellite imagery reviewed by The Times and @Maxar, shows military vehicles at Pokrovsky on March 11. More recent imagery from March 15 shows the vehicles are still there.

It was an honor to work on this with my Ukrainian colleagues @MashaFroliak & @dim109. Masha interviewed all the residents with a rare mixture of professionalism and empathy, and Dima made the visuals shine with his expert editing skills. nytimes.com/2022/03/20/wor…

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