The famous former defender of Kyiv "Dynamo" and the national team of Ukraine Yuriy Dmytrulin spoke about the occupation of his native town of Snigurivka. He also recalled how the occupiers lived in his house near Kyiv.
Yuriy Dmytrulin"When I saw how people with flags and flowers greeted our soldiers, I was just incredibly happy for my hometown"
— To Yury Mykhailovych, your native village of Snigurivka was under occupation almost from the very beginning of the war, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine recently liberated this town. Describe your experience when the news started to appear about it.
— On November 9, they started writing to me early in the morning that the Ukrainian flag had already been raised over the stadium in Snigurivka, but I was scrupulous about these messages, because I knew that the Orks were very firmly entrenched there. These are the messages when there is hope, but there is a difference between this and official sources.
And when I saw a video from the center of the city, when people with flags and flowers met our soldiers, then I was just incredibly happy, because this is my hometown. My family ties, friends and my first coach with a woman remained there, so I was very happy.
— That is, you did not trust the first reports very much, because you did not want to give yourself false hope, in case this information was not true?
- Unofficial reports, you understand, that's what it is, and when it's talked about on TV, official people, then you can believe it. For the last month, I had this hope that they were about to be released, because Snigurivka was constantly discussed in the news, but thanks to our Armed Forces that they threw the occupiers out of the city. They cut off all their supplies. The occupants had neither fuel nor food. Ours left the orcs no choice but to flee the town.
— How Snow White changed during the occupation period. Can you estimate the extent of the destruction and how it was before and after?
- I will frankly say that I myself did not see the extent of the destruction, because I was not there, but I know from conversations that the city was hit very hard. At first, the occupiers treated the population more or less normally, but then the attitude deteriorated.
It got to the point that they got drunk and simply shot up houses. They just mocked the population. I think there is a lot of destruction, but I know that everything will be fine, because we will rebuild this city.
"The city has been under occupation for nine months. It's a nightmare"
— How did people generally behave during the occupation, what was the mood of the population?
— People were in no mood at all, they were afraid to go outside, so as not to provoke the orcs, who roamed the streets and were looking for food, that is, they ransacked shops and robbed. I have a coach who, in order to communicate with his daughter, who left with a small child, climbed onto the roof directly to the antenna in order to have at least some connection. The city had no connection at all.
Therefore, I do not understand how people with their relatives who left stayed in touch. It is simply a horror that the city has been under occupation for nine months. Nothing good can be said here. This is a nightmare.
— Did the residents of Snigurivka have enough food supply? What was missing the most?
— You see, 70 percent left Snigurivka. Not many people left. Those who had their own household, gardens and some stocks in the grave survived. I don't think there were enough markets and bazaars. Maybe people went out to sell something to other residents from what they had. In the early days, two factories were destroyed, so nothing was produced. I think it was very, very difficult.
"The sty is probably cleaner than the house where the orcs lived"
— Your home near Kyiv was seriously damaged and even robbed. What is left in the house at all?
— My house came under fire, the 104th Airborne Regiment of the Russian Federation lived in it. They "marked" there on the table and walls. There are no windows, no doors, the roof is broken. Thank God that though the facade remained intact. And yes, the pigsty is probably cleaner than the house where the orcs lived. This is a horror! I didn't think people could behave like that! Everything is turned upside down, food is on the table, on the floor, dirt from footprints is everywhere.
All warm things were taken out of the house. The guys from Teroborona told me that the occupiers warmed up in my house during the day and slept in the trenches next to the house at night. They took warm blankets, jackets and suits into the trenches. My things were found near the house and a hundred meters from it. It's a shame how they position themselves. They are the real second army of the world, but from the end. What they do shows their level to the maximum.
— And what is the fate of your sports awards?
- They stole half of the medals, awards, cups as well. When we returned home, I did not find anything. T-shirts from the Champions League and national team games were also stolen. So what was left was put up for auction and these funds went to help our fighters,
— You said that you have relatives left in Snigurivka. What did they tell you about life during the occupation?
— Unfortunately, I haven't had time to talk to them yet. There is also a bad connection, so you understand that it is almost impossible to call and communicate with people there. But when they talked to the daughter of my coach, she said that she had contacted them for the first time in five months. The conversation was very emotional, tears flowed like a river. They said that they could not talk, there was no communication at all. Here and there you can find a connection, so I haven't communicated yet. But I know that my relatives are alive and well.
— When would you like to visit Snigurivka again and see your relatives?
— It is not such an easy matter to get there now. People who left want to go home, but the military and the administration warn that it is too early to return. It's worth staying where you are for now. Snow White is heavily mined, a lot of things that prevent a quick return. It will take a long time to neutralize everything, find collaborators and filter. I think that I will most likely get into Snow White next year.
— That is, when it is safe and the administration says that you can return, will you do it?
- Yes, of course!
Artem Zhilinskyi
