Horenychi is less than 20 kilometres from Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv that has been the scene of fierce fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces for weeks
. The Ukrainians recently recaptured Irpin but attacks from both sides continue and there’s still regular shelling in the area.
Ms. Prokopenko was born here, raised here. She has a son in the army, a daughter in Kyiv and neighbours who rely on her. “For me it’s nonsense as a mother to leave my children behind. I can’t do it,” she said. Then she smiled and added: “When my daughter said, ‘Mum, you need to leave,’ I said, ‘What do you mean? The Russians come and I’m not at home to wave hello?’ ”
Closer to Horenychi, a gas station and adjacent café have also been blown up. All that’s left are a few bright orange seats and a flowered design along the outside wall. She’s been living here for 35 years. She has a husband, two children and no intention of pulling out. “It’s our place,” she said. “We’ll stay here and see how it goes.”
He also doesn’t want to leave but he’s feeling pressure from his wife and relatives living abroad who have been urging him to get out of town. His wife is worried that the Russians will launch a chemical attack and she wants to head to Paris and stay with friends. The Russians “will not capture Ukraine,” he says. “But they can destroy it.”
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