Increbidle at the first sight story of 10-year-old Ilia Matvienko is common for thousands of Ukrainian children. Right after #RussiaInvadedUkraine the little boy & his mom from #Mariupol found a protection from shellings in a basement until one day irreversibly changed everything
That time an attack caught them outside and a couple rushed to a neighbors' house but failed to get there safely. Despite receiving a severe head injury Ilya’s mother, Natalia, managed to carry her wounded son to the apartment of their acquaintances alone.
Right after reaching safety the mom died in Ilia embraces. The city was took by #RussianSoldiers the next day and kidnapped boy was deportated to the occupied part of #Donbas. Ilia, whose injuried leg almost got amputated there, was returned to #Ukraine by his grandma
The woman crossed borders of four countries to reunite with the boy. He met her at a Kyiv hospital right at the day of his 10th birthday. That day Ilya had a symbolic second birthday when doctors said that later his leg is functioning and someday he would be able to walk.
Despite the little survivor of #RussianWarCrimes spent that special day without the dearest person - his deceased mother Natalia - he still had a little celebration party with the grandmother, medical stuff, 3 Ukrainian ministers and the president of Ukraine
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In order to create an attractive picture of 'liberated' #Mariupol for media #Russia's launched damaged waterworks which cases flooding in all basements - the only home and safe shelter for over 150 000 people. Now they live on streets full of #RussianSoldiers #RussianUkrainianWar
As Russia blocks evacuation and any humanitary efforts from Ukraine, blocked Mariupol residents receive food only from Russia that daily provides 3000 individual servings. The access to drinking water is limited due to little supplying and bad position of distribution centers
But grim realities of the humanitarian crisis in Mariupol is overshadowed by the upcoming health crisis: the metropolis wiped out by Russia within a month keeps ~20 000 of corpses under the rubble. As Russia can't quickly lift the overwhelming number of wreckages and bury remains
A document #Russia issues for Ukrainians from occupied region after 'filtering'. After receiving it survivors are sent to economically depressed areas of Russia, often without passports, phones, money and permission to leave region of destination for two years #RussianWarCrimes
Such papers are issed for women, children & elderly people. Servicemen, law enforcement officers and civilians suspected in support of Ukraine based on interrogation&their social media profiles/messages/likes or tattoos of Ukraine's state symbols don't pass the filtration
In contrary to deportated women&kids, adult males regardless of age or health are left behind in filtration camps for further prisoner exchange or forced mobilisation. 2000 of them are planned to be walked through a "corridor of shame" at the Russia's Victory Day parade on May 9
Oleksandr Hutsal, 14, saved the lives of his parents, 3 younder singings and 30 more people surviving a monthlong Russian siege of #Bucha. Every day the boy sneaked through Russian position to find food, water&wood and bring them back to the basement
The boy risking his life under Russian gunfire let over three dozens of civilians survive a month in extreme cold - only 8° C. One man has been shot by Russians when he left a shelter to smoke. The boy's family'll remain in the basement till public utilities are restored in Bucha
You can learn more about Oleksandr and his story from this article tsn.ua/ru/ato/riskova…