For centuries, raisins have been considered a gateway to the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine and from there to the Black Sea. The Russians call the area around it the Izyum Pass.
His strategic stance means that Izyum has become a fierce battleground in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as Moscow uses it as a starting point for its attack on Ukrainian forces in Donbas. He fell completely at the hands of Russian forces on April 1st, detaining thousands of civilians in a city where as much as 80 percent of his apartment buildings were destroyed.
“Before the war, Izyum had a population of 46,000,” said city mayor Valery Marchenko, who managed to leave with thousands of citizens before his capture. “There was a factory that produced military equipment, some small and medium enterprises. Relations with neighboring cities in Donbass were friendly. We have always helped each other. But that was before. “
It is difficult for the Ukrainian authorities to know the situation in Izyum, which is 70 miles southeast of Kharkiv. Prior to the Russian occupation, local authorities managed to evacuate part of the population. But officials say approximately 10,000 to 15,000 citizens remain trapped and their fate uncertain.
“We can’t know for sure because about 1,000 civilians were killed in air strikes, artillery shelling and bombing,” Marchenko said. “The last centralized evacuation was on March 10. We organized a green corridor with 60 buses. Humanitarian aid flowed and people fled in these buses.
“Then we tried three times to organize green corridors, but when the buses approached the city, they were shot by the Russians and had to turn around. Some volunteers used their own cars and risked their lives to evacuate people, but an organized evacuation was not possible. And now that the city is occupied, our hands are tied. “
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Witnesses told the Guardian how residents survived their basements for weeks without electricity, heating and running water.
The capture of Raisins took several weeks. “Our city is divided into northern and southern parts of the Seversky Donets River,” Marchenko said. “The Russians first tried to enter the north. Our military blew up the bridges so that they could not enter the southern part, from where they could cross to Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.
“They could not take over the south for almost three weeks. There were many attempts by the Russian invaders to build temporary bridges over the river, but our defenders destroyed them. After countless attempts, they managed to cross the river, besiege the city and in a week gain control of the southern part.
A 60-year-old man from Izyum said he managed to escape from Russian troops before the city fell, crossing the Seversky Donets during the frosty weather.
“I was in the northern part of the city when armed men came to me and introduced themselves as soldiers of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic,” the man said. “They threatened me with a weapon and took away two of my vehicles: a minibus and a jeep, as well as all the alcohol that was at home. At the time they were robbing the house, they let me out of my sight [and] I took advantage of the moment and ran away. “
He continued: “I was swimming to the south of Raisin across the river. Then I called the city authorities and they organized an “evacuation walk”, so they told us the way to go. Eight people agreed to the risky operation, including four women, a teenager and a girl with cancer who urgently needed chemotherapy. We walked about 15 km [9 miles] under fire [and] The mayor of Izyum Valery Marchenko and other employees met us at the appointed place. Then we all went to Slavyansk and we have been safe ever since. ”
Now Izyum has become a center for Russian forces. According to officials, his capture allowed Russia to move artillery 30 miles to Ukrainian-controlled areas of Donbass.
“Our troops keep them there,” Marchenko said. “But there are a lot of machines in the city. They moved their troops from the Kiev and Chernihiv regions to Izyum. Previously, all their equipment was marked with the letter Z, but now also V and O. They are concentrating their troops, machinery and equipment to continue their attack on Donbass. “
As Russian forces advance, the mayors of Balakliya and Kupyansk, cities 30 miles and 43 miles from Izyum, respectively, have struck a deal with Russian authorities. Both are now facing life in prison for treason.
“I just don’t understand them,” Marchenko said. “I also received offers from the invaders asking me to miss them and surrender. I told them that I was the mayor of a Ukrainian city. And so it will remain. And I will never become a traitor. Why did you do that? You have to ask them. ”
One of the people evacuated a month ago from Raisins. Photo: Ed Ram / Guardian
Some witnesses say the Russians have prepared a list of people to “hunt”: those who may own weapons, businessmen, activists and the military. The fear is that Izyum will become another Bucha, where hundreds of civilians have been killed and buried in mass graves or left on the streets.
“Bucha and Izyum are very similar,” Marchenko said. “In both, more than 80% of residential buildings have been destroyed. People in both cities have been hiding in basements for more than a month under constant shelling. There was no food. Some reports claim that the Russians are compiling a list of people in need of humanitarian assistance. But instead, they are preparing a list of activists, Donbass war veterans, police officers and local business owners. If they find them, they will be taken to an unknown place and we will know nothing about their fate.
Based on Russia’s offensive in recent weeks, the conquest of Donbass seems inevitable, but Marchenko believes nothing is lost as Ukrainian troops stand in front of them.
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