Irpin Mayor Alexander Markushin/Collage of Channel 24
Irpin is a hero-city that has been holding strong defenses since the first days of the Russian attack. Mayor Alexander Markushin recalls that after three weeks of a hellish war at a meeting he said to the defenders of Irpin: “Either today we will defeat the occupiers here and go into battle, or we will lose the city.”
- 1Irpin Mayor Alexander Markushin's emotional story about the war: watch the video
- 2″Our guys were powerfully repelled”: about the beginning of the war and the creation of a terror defense headquarters
- 3In the battles for Irpen, we “squeezed out” 12 units of Russian equipment
- 4For more than 2 weeks we fought for every house, for every quarter
- 5Either we will smash them here and go into battle, or we will lose the city: about the decisive counteroffensive
- 7I refused to cooperate with the Russians, so the task was to destroy me
- 8More than 50% of Irpen was destroyed
- 915 thousand people returned to the city, but please wait some more
- 10Someone arrives, opens an apartment, and there is a shell
- 11Tanks drove over the shot people, they had to scrape them with a shovel bodies
- 12The most terrible thing was when a woman, two small children and a volunteer died before my eyes
- 13People died from shrapnel, small arms, grenades…
- $141 billion is needed to rebuild the city
< li _ngcontent-sc138="">6When we opened the windows and shouted “Glory to Ukraine!”, people ran
The Russians unsuccessfully tried to “negotiate and cooperate” with Markushin. Despite threats, attempts on his life and the destruction of his parents' house, the mayor remained pro-Ukrainian and participated in the battles for the liberation of Irpen.
The city was completely liberated from Russian invaders on March 28. As part of the Interview24 project, we talked with Alexander Markushin about preparing the city for war, heavy fighting, important decisions for the defense of Irpin, evacuation of the urban population, brutal war crimes committed by the enemy, as well as the return of people to the city, its renewal and exhumation of the bodies of the dead .
The emotional story of the mayor of Irpin Alexander Markushin about the war: watch the video
“Our guys fought back powerfully”: about the beginning of the war and the creation of the terror defense headquarters
What was the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion for Irpin and you as mayor of the city?
It should be a normal day – Thursday. It should have been a calm day. And there was supposed to be a regular session of the Irpin City Council. But at 6 o'clock in the morning everything changed. When Kyiv received a missile and bomb attack, when one of the first missiles flew into our house in Irpin along Gostomelskoye Shosse Street, we immediately very quickly called an extraordinary session on alarm. And at 8 o'clock the deputies were in place.
We voted for two questions. One of them is the creation of a territorial defense headquarters, where I was elected commander. And there was the question of financing this headquarters. We immediately set to work. I started calling all the guys, the military. I say: “Friends, help is needed now. Go to the city council, take your own official weapons, because the war has begun.”
The first task was to make roadblocks at the entrances to the city. We called them roadblocks, but it was the first line of defense. There were trenches, dugouts.
Irpin Mayor Alexander Markushin/Photo by Alina Turishin, channel 24
I started calling the leadership in the region, the state and saying that we need weapons. At first it was its own – machine guns, carbines, rifles. We were given weapons very quickly and very quickly we began to fortify ourselves. And in three directions – “Synergy”, “Giraffe” and “Karavangal” we already had 40 people.
In the first days there were 30 people territorial defense, then increased to 200. And we clearly distributed who the platoon and company commander was there. We were already more or less armed – we had grenade launchers, machine guns. We were very powerfully helped by those guys who were in the ATO, or retired soldiers. They have weapons and everyone is on the defensive.
Irpen, one of the areas where the battles were fought/Photo by Alina Turishin, channel 24
Our guys burned the first “box” of equipment. They (Russian soldiers – Channel 24) did not expect this. There were about a hundred infantry, and they began to run. Our guys fought back a lot. We were a little happy, but it was too early to rejoice, because in half an hour another offensive began. And they burned one more “box”, the infantry was killed. And then they moved on.
In the battles for Irpin, we “recovered ” 12 units of Russian vehicles
Then we got to know our military better. The defense line of Kyiv was beyond the Irpin River, and the city was ahead. And they say: “Friends, cross the river. We have fortified areas here and we will fight from this side.” I say: “No, we will not surrender Irpin. This is our city.” They say that “according to intelligence data, they entered Irpen from three directions, they captured it.” I say: “No, these are our checkpoints and this is our line of defense. The guys are holding on.”
We left with the military and looked at everything. They were shocked and helped us very powerfully. In particular, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine, which provided us with specialists.
We were given guys and equipment, we were strengthened. And in these five days of fighting, our guys “wrung out” 12 units of Russian equipment. She has already fought on our side. Artillery redirected the blows, and we held the city.
For more than 2 weeks we fought for every house, for every quarter
Then, from the side of “Synergy”, the invaders broke through the defense, because the forces were unequal. Up to 50 pieces of equipment entered from this side. But we entrenched ourselves for several blocks, and already in the city it was very difficult for them to fight.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine and specialists have already pulled up. And they just burned these tanks from the roofs and windows. The invaders could not advance. And the guys with machine guns and snipers completely cut off the infantry. They captured only 30% of Irpen and for almost two and a half weeks we fought for every house, for every quarter.
Alexander Markushin spoke about the first heavy battles for Irpen/Photo by Alina Turishin, Channel 24
I had an incredible desire to squeeze them out of our city as soon as possible. But we clearly understood that if we now go on the offensive, then we do not have enough people and weapons. Even if we knock them out, we will put our guys down. And the most important thing is people's lives. And we positionally held this defense.But at that time, Russians from Gradov, artillery, tanks, mortars completely covered our city from morning to night. Explosions and shelling did not stop.
Irpin after shelling by invaders/Photo by Alina Turishin, Channel 24
From three directions at the same time they launched an offensive. From two we powerfully held them back, and from the side of the “Caravangal” they entered with tanks, armored vehicles and a large number of manpower. And slowly we moved. And the Russians had heavy losses, and so did we. But for some period they stopped, because they also ran out of BC, the equipment was destroyed. They were waiting for reinforcements. But our artillery cut off these reinforcements.
Either we will smash them here and go into battle, or we will lose the city: about the decisive counteroffensive
At that time, our guys did not have the strength, they were exhausted, because they held the defense for three weeks. The last three days have been hell. They even compared the time with the Donetsk airport. There was just horror here. But everyone “gathered into a fist.” We held a meeting of the guys and said, “either today we will defeat them here and go into battle, or we will lose the city.”
And on the last strength, on enthusiasm, on the hope that we will win, we went into battle and it was a counteroffensive. It was a very adventurous idea, because the forces were unequal, and they did not expect this from us. We went and completely defeated them in all three directions. They just ran away, leaving the equipment. It was a very correct decision of the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
< em>Markushin says that our defenders completely defeated the infidels/Photo by Alina Turishin, channel 24
When we opened the windows and shouted “Glory to Ukraine!”, people ran away
I still remember how they ran away from Bucha during the day. The next day we were supposed to call in to liberate Gostomel, Bucha, Vorzel, but we did not wait a bit. At 4 p.m., the groups and I loaded trucks with food. We stopped at the Stikolka microdistrict in Bucha. There were no occupiers, and people could not understand who was coming. They were afraid. But when we opened the windows and shouted “Glory to Ukraine!” , then people ran.
It is difficult to convey the feeling when about 500 people ran to the square and cried with joy. We were handing out food because they had a humanitarian crisis. The Russians did not let them bring anything in, go out somewhere and take something. The next day we brought them medicines and our doctors. The Red Cross also helped a lot. Older people and children came with flowers and gave us. These memories bring tears.
They said: “Thank God that you freed us.” They had a horror and a lot of people died, many could not leave. In Irpen, we also lost a lot.
The mayor of Irpin Alexander Markushin/Photo by Alina Turishin, Channel 24
How many people died in Irpin during this time?
Almost 300 people. But with us, Irpen would be numbered in the thousands. I think our team has done an incredible job. We evacuated the 100,000th region, 95% of the inhabitants were taken away. At first it was done for three days by train. Then, when he was bombed, and he left the flights, then on buses. People went on foot to Romanovka. Somewhere we gave them a lift, transferred them across a bombed-out bridge.
There they walked about 800 meters, and then people were taken out on buses. Almost 40,000 people crossed this bridge. They took out the wounded, bedridden patients. Our volunteers have worked very hard. And back at night we started units, brought food, medicines, water and delivered it to our residents. We saved the lives of many of our people, because 95% is a very powerful result of the evacuation of the population.
Many residents who were released from Bucha and Gostomel went through Irpin. And we also evacuated them. But this is 1.5 – 2% of the total.
Almost 40 thousand people crossed this bridge/Photo by Alina Turishin, Channel 24
I refused to cooperate with the Russians, so the task was to destroy me
You said that the invaders tried you to kill you. How was it and why?
On the first day of the war, I received an offer to cooperate with the Russians. They promised that I would be unharmed, promised money and cooperation. But I definitely refused and exposed it publicly. I am a man of principle and there can be no cooperation with the enemy. And after that there was a task to destroy me. The first time they shot my car. And it's good that by a miracle I survived.
My guys, who were riding behind, secured me and we fought.
All these days I have been there. There was no light, and we cooked on a fire and a stove with a balloon. I spent the night at my parents' house. Perhaps God saves, because that day we went to a friend who had a wood-fired sauna. I had to shower in a week. We washed and I say: “Let's stay here and stay, and tomorrow morning we will come home and change.”
Irpen shot/Photo by Alina Turishin, channel 24
Shelling continued every day and every minute. And no one counted more than one shelling, or less. When we drove up to the house to change clothes, I saw that it was burning down. Part of the microdistrict was completely unscathed, but it was completely destroyed. Only the walls remained. Then the experts and the military said that he was hit by a thermal rocket.
The third time was when we were leaving. We were tracked by mobile phones, walkie-talkies, call signs. When we were driving through one sector, it was covered with Grads. If they are fired upon from behind by such multiple launch rocket systems, and we are driving, then we need to leave faster. And I say something to the driver: “Stop! We'll run out into the trench now.” He stops and I say, “No, let's move on.”
Occupiers tried several times to kill the mayor of Irpin/Photo by Alina Turishin, Channel 24
When we moved, we saw that ahead, somewhere in 100 meters, six Grad bursts flew in. It's horrible. The car was damaged, but we survived. One fragment flew into my back, but I was wearing a bulletproof vest. I survived.
And about ten days ago, I received another message threatening that we will destroy you.
Were these messages written to you?
Yes, on social media. I posted this so they can see that we will not negotiate with any terrorists.
When you saw your parents' house destroyed, how did you feel?
I grew up in this house. Of course, this abomination destroyed part of my soul, memories. I had a desire to destroy them further.
More than 50% of Irpin was destroyed
How many houses were destroyed and damaged in Irpin?< /em>
About a thousand houses were damaged. More than 50% of the city is destroyed. In general, 71% of houses are damaged in one form or another. This is a lot. And Irpin paid a very high price for the war. But it’s not just Irpin anymore, but the Hero City recognized by the President.
Pay attention! On March 24, Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree conferring the honorary title Hero City of Ukraine on Bucha, Irpen, Akhtyrka, Nikolaev.
How will the procedure for reimbursement of housing to the residents of Irpin go?
The program of the state regional administration is currently working. This is a reimbursement for the installation of windows and roof repairs on private houses and high-rise buildings. At first it will be multi-storey, and then – private. And then we are waiting for a mechanism from the state, how exactly completely destroyed apartments and houses will be compensated.
Our task now is to conduct expert reports and assess whether the houses are repairable. People write applications, we arrange them according to those who have broken windows, who has a roof, and who has a completely destroyed house. Let's systematize this whole story.
71% of houses in Irpin are damaged/Photo by Alina Turishin, 24 channel
15,000 have returned to the city people, but please wait a little longer
After the liberation of the Kiev region from the Russian invaders, many began to return home. And what about Irpen? Are residents actively returning?
About 15,000 people have returned, but we ask as much as possible that we need a little more time. We need to restore 100% power supply, carry out water supply and drainage. We're doing it, but we need a few more weeks to do it. Then, of course, it will be possible to return to people. Shops will be opening this week.
Someone arrives, opens an apartment, and there is a shell
Is the city cleared of mines?
Irpin is 100% superficially demined. But, of course, someone comes, opens an apartment, and there the shell lies. Somewhere in the private sector there may be stretch marks. We cannot say completely. Everything was superficially demined, but we created a demining group attached to our TRO. And the guys go to the challenges, help, sort it out. Sometimes there are 20 calls a day.
Irpin is 100% superficially cleared of mines/Photo by Alina Turishin, Channel 24
Tanks drove over the shot people, it was necessary to scrape the bodies with a shovel
What war crimes were recorded in Irpin?
The residents have a lot to say. And I personally did not see with my own eyes how Russian soldiers shot civilians. We fought and were not in the occupied territories. The city was occupied by 30%. And our villages – Mikhailovka-Rubezhovka, Kozintsy, Dibrova, the city of Bucha were completely occupied.
When we completely liberated Irpin, we saw these crimes. We saw people who were shot. Tanks drove over them. For three weeks a tank drove over people. And sorry for the details, but I had to scrape the bodies with a shovel. It was a woman and two men.
People also told how the invaders drove into the yard and, if they didn’t like something, they could shoot.
The murdered inhabitants of Irpin were buried in courtyards and along the roads/Photo by Alina Turishin, Channel 24
Women with children were separated from men. The latter were taken away for the exchange of prisoners.
A child with his mother also died. They were shot during the evacuation by car.
We talked to the women. They were in a very terrifying emotional state. It was probably the abuse of women. But they must file a complaint with law enforcement.
When there was an evacuation, a mine flew into people before my eyes. It was a woman with two children and a volunteer. All four died immediately.
The invaders also fired on buses, the private sector, multi-storey buildings, schools, kindergartens, destroyed a cultural center, a stadium, a hospital, outpatient clinics. There were no soldiers there. Because it really is a war crime. Now the police, the prosecutor's office and the SBU are engaged in this.
The worst thing is when a woman, two small children and a volunteer died before my eyes
For you as mayor of the city, what was the most difficult thing for you?
The worst thing I've seen is when a woman, two small children and a volunteer died in front of my eyes. The hardest thing, of course, is to watch how the city is being destroyed, which our team had previously developed together with another mayor. What we have done is simply destroyed. For they fired not only at our lines of defense, but simply at the city. They wanted to intimidate us, but they failed. The more they fired, the more angry we became and the bigger the goal became – to destroy and expel them from our city and our country.
The mayor of Irpin/Photo from Facebook of Alexander Markushin
Did you personally participate in the fighting?
Of course. From the first day. How can a commander not participate in hostilities? The army will scatter.
People died from shrapnel, small arms, grenades …
Have the bodies been exhumed yet?
We did a full exhumation. And if bodies are found anywhere else, we do it. But we immediately removed all the corpses from the city or sent them to the morgue for examination. We did it three days later, and then a week later we did a full exhumation with the police, investigators and experts. If we find someone else, we go out, dig it up and bring it to the morgue for a forensic examination.
What are the most common causes of death among civilians?
Various. Some died from shrapnel, some from small arms, some from grenades. Someone died from old age, from experiences. The elderly, of course, were worried when the houses were bombed. 99% of the dead are the consequences of the war.
1 billion dollars – so much for the restoration of the city< /h2>
Will they make a memorial out of the Irpin Bridge?
The President wants to make a memorial out of the Irpen Bridge. And there will be another bridge in the project. And rightly so, because we called this place the road of life. We brought out more than 40 thousand people from behind this place, carried out the wounded. I think that a memorial should be made there and all the delegations and people who will come to Irpen will see the horror of the Russian troops, what they did.
How much money need to rebuild the city?
Preliminary one billion dollars to rebuild. But we do not set ourselves the task of restoring the city to the state in which it was before February 24th. We must make it better.
Volunteers clearing Irpin/Photo by Alina Turishin, Channel 24
What are the main problems of the city now?
The main problem is to resume communications. The second is to give people temporary housing, because many have nowhere to go.
Will you build social housing?
We are already working on it. We have already proposed a site for social housing. And I think that the state will not leave us aside and will move forward. For two thousand apartments is a very large number. These are two thousand families, and if we take the number of people, this is 7-8 thousand people. We cannot leave them to their fate. We found a site where we can build, and then we need government funding.
We saw a lot of people near the city council. What problems do they come up with?
The City Council is open 24/7. People come and can get help. The registries are up and running now. We provide all assistance. We have volunteer hubs where you can get food and eat. We feed 3.5 thousand people a day.
Utilities work seven days a week today. It is necessary to clean the city as much as possible and make all communications, and then relax. And everyone understands this and they treat me with understanding. I say: “Friends, today is Sunday, but we have no days off. We need to work, because we fought without days off.” But our public utilities are understanding and work around the clock.
“Interview 24” is a project on the website of Channel 24 about the most important topics. Conversations that change the country for the better. The author of the project is Anastasia Zazulyak, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the site.
