Ukrainian couple tells about what they witnessed in Bucha during Russian attacks

By Davit Kachkachishvili

BUCHA, Ukraine (AA) - An old couple, married for 58 years and living in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, has not left the city, witnessing what happened amid Russia's attacks.

Grigory Zamogilni (84) and Anna Zamogilnaya (80), who were visited by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russian forces withdrew from the city, spoke to Anadolu Agency.

Zamogilnaya said they did not expect the situation to be this serious and that the Russians would declare war on Ukraine.

"They (Russians) call us 'little siblings.' So, how can the elders treat their younger siblings like this? Why did they do this?" she asked.

The couple is living on Vogazlnaya street where intense clashes took place after Russian forces entered the city on Feb. 27.

"When I saw the Russian tanks passing through the street, my son shouted: 'Mom, the tanks are coming'," she said, adding that the convoy of those tanks was bombed by a Ukrainian warplane.

There is still no gas and electricity in the city, Zamogilnaya noted, saying they cook their food on bricks outside their home.

- 'Everything was on fire'

For his part, Zamogilni said the time when clashes in the city still continue, everything around was on fire, and bombs fell everywhere.

"I saw the bodies of nine civilians at the end of the street. There were three bodies in the street near us," he added.

They said they are feeling safe now as the Ukrainian soldiers have returned to the city and Zamogilni added that the cleaning efforts in the region have also started.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow are facing vehement criticism from the international community after Ukraine accused Russian forces of committing "genocide" and "war crimes" in Bucha, a city near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

Russia has rejected the allegations as a "fake news attack," arguing that the images that have drawn global outrage were staged after Russian forces withdrew from the city.

Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global companies from Russia.

At least 1,892 civilians have been killed and 2,558 injured in Ukraine since Russia declared war on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be much higher.

Over 4.6 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.