No defense against Russian ballistic missiles targeting the city – Chernihiv Mayor

Acting Mayor of Chernihiv, Oleksandr Lomako, revealed details of the Russian missile assault on the city during an interview with Radio NV on April 17.

- What is the situation in the city now and what are the consequences of Russian attack? What is known about the victims and the wounded?

- Unfortunately, 11 people were killed. I would like to take this opportunity to refute information right away. Someone spread information on the city's information resources, and it is spreading, about more than 50 dead. This is not true, as of now we know about 11 dead. Unfortunately, the rubble is still being cleared and this number may increase.

I express my condolences to their families and friends. Also, 51 people were injured and went to the hospitals, unfortunately this number increases as well.

I saw many people with shrapnel wounds or blood on their faces just a few minutes after the strike. As I understand it, many of them did not go to hospital immediately and will be treated throughout the day.

That's why we have 51 wounded so far, including two children. And 11 dead.

Strike took place around 9 a.m. in a densely populated area of the city. There are social infrastructure facilities there that were hit, as well as multi-storey residential buildings. Many buildings near the epicenter of the explosion were damaged. There are destroyed apartments, broken windows and damaged facades. There is a lot of debris on territory, many destroyed or damaged cars, a public transport stop and trolleybus cables were destroyed. Russians caused a lot of damage to the city.

This strike and all the recent strikes confirm that Ukraine needs air defense and missile defense systems and missiles to them as soon as possible, because, unfortunately, these arrivals are happening because we have nothing to repel these terrorist strikes of the Russia.

Three missiles hit Chernihiv, and the consequences were terrible.

- You were at the scene of the incident. What did you see, what was your impression, what was it like?

- It was a terrible picture, many people were leaving with injuries. You could see that they were coming out of their houses, blood on their faces. Bodies were lying right on the road... I don't want to retell it. Unfortunately, this is not the first time in our city.

- What do the victims need most now, is help being provided to them and how can others help?

- We held an operational meeting of headquarters, which included all the services of the city, oblast, the State Emergency Service, police - everyone who is needed. We identified priority tasks.

Tents have already been set up at explosions epicenter to provide psychological and other assistance, and people living in that area can go there. Hot meals are now being organized for people living there and for specialists of services involved in rescue operations.

Four groups of eight employees of municipal housing office have started visiting apartments to determine the need for construction materials - (who needs) film to close the windows, as well as first repairs that need to be done so that people can spend night at home.

We have turned off gas and electricity for now, but we are looking at network to turn them back on in evening so that people can return home where possible.

We have prepared places to accommodate people who need it. It is not yet known how many, but theoretically it will be necessary, so we already know where to resettle them.

We are clearing debris on the site and dismantling rubble. And unfortunately, as the rubble is removed, there may be more (victims). Although I hope that this will not happen, that there will be no more than 11.

Everybody is working, they know what to do, everybody is there to eliminate consequences as quickly as possible and to start helping people who have been affected and whose homes have been damaged.

- Part of the city was left without electricity. How big is the problem and what is happening now?

- No, it's not large-scale. We have turned off only this area. We are currently checking the networks and will turn it back on if everything is fine.

- There were also reports that a medical facility in Chernihiv was damaged. Are there any victims there?

- No, there is a hospital across the road, but it even accepts wounded and injured. If there were any shrapnel (injuries), of course, they were, but they are not significant. It is located nearby, but not in the epicenter of the explosion.

Attack hit social infrastructure facilities, not a hospital or a residential building.

- What did the Russians wanted, what did they achieve? Just to intimidate people?

- It's not our function to explain, our function is to help people and clean up the results. It's hard to comment on what Russian goal was - the actions of terrorists and what type of missiles they hit, what they wanted. Because terrorist want to kill as many civilians as possible and to intimidate, to make life in our cities more difficult. But what was in their minds, I cannot comment on that.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine