Volunteers and fishermen from Strakholesye/Ukrayinska Pravda
In March, during the Russian occupation of the Kiev region, volunteers organized evacuation and humanitarian centers on the Kiev reservoir. They took women, children and the elderly to safety and supplied food.
Start of the war
The publication made a report from the scene, talked to rescuers and volunteers. They noted that from the first days of the occupation of part of the Kiev region, it became clear that there would be a shortage of food in the surrounding settlements near Strakholesye.
First, the fishermen caught fish and distributed them to people who were trapped. A few days after the occupation, mobile communications disappeared. People found separate places where they could pick up a weak signal to ask for help, because other products began to run out in the villages.
The place where people were evacuated from/Photo by UP
The first flight
< p class="bloquote cke-markup">You can't live long on fish. Butter and flour were running out, but you won't be full without bread. We asked friends of Kyiv for help. They brought food to the other side through Vyshgorod, and we took it by boat,” volunteer Alena Aliyeva said.
Then they were able to bring three bags of flour. They were divided among the people who needed it most, it turned out to be 500 grams per person.
Volunteers saved more than 2000 people
After the success of the first test trips, fishermen and activists set up an evacuation center in Strakholesye, connected to several points on the left bank, at the junction of the Chernihiv and Kyiv regions. In good weather, to the furthest – 40 minutes by boat, in a storm – an hour or more.
Evacuation base of the village of Strakholesye/Photo by UP
< p class="bloquote cke-markup"> If it's a storm, you won't wish the enemy, everyone came wet. It used to be that they changed clothes three times a day and again on the flight. Those who are not used to sailing during such a high wave said that while moving, you can easily understand exactly where the liver is located, recalled fisherman Alexander Kulina.
In a large, eleven-meter boat, where, if desired, you can it was possible to accommodate up to thirty people, planted a maximum of sixteen. The fishermen were afraid to get under fire and tried to go as far as possible more than ten kilometers to the other bank.
Refugees were taken to the left bank, many went further to Europe. And they returned with food and medicine.
