Report
In Mala Rogan taken over by the Ukrainians, a grandfather remained under the bombs
Audio 01:07
A Ukrainian soldier inspects a destroyed tank in Mala Rogan, east of Kharkiv in Ukraine.
© Catherine Norris-Trent / France 24
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
A small victory for the Ukrainian forces: a few days ago they took over the highly disputed locality of Mala Rogan, east of Kharkiv, after several weeks of bombardment.
Ravaged landscape, destroyed villages, the scenes are repeated since the beginning of the war, but this time, the special correspondents of RFI made an encounter which they did not expect.
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From our special envoys to Mala Rogan,
Vincent Souriau and Sami Boukhelifa
You have to squint to believe it, but that's it: there is a silhouette, sitting on a bench between the charred tanks and the pieces of shells planted on the ground.
There he is, all alone, with his cane, his old gray coat and his hat, in the middle of his ghost town ravaged by war.
Vassily Yakovitch, 84, sits on his bench in Mala Rogan, in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine.
© Catherine Norris-Trent / France 24
Vassily Yakovich is 84 years old.
Why did you stay?
"
And where would I have gone, son?"
I already lived through the war… I put a pillow in front, a pillow on the right, a pillow on the left… And I stayed in my living room… Because if you're in the basement and your house collapses , you will end up asphyxiated
, ”he says.
Everything is a bit confused in Vassily's head.
His Cossack ancestors, his career in the commercial navy, his trip to Japan 60 years ago... He didn't follow everything.
And when our interpreter tells him that it will be fine, now that the Ukrainians have taken over the commune, he pauses: “
But which commune?
He replies, it's here, in Mala Rogan, the Russians have left, it's Ukraine here.
“
Ah but does that mean that my family will come back?
he asks, lost.
We hope so for him.
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To read also: War in Ukraine: these young Russians who want to avoid conscription
© RFI
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