Blinken visits village of Yahidne, where Russians kept hundreds of civilians in basement
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has visited the village of Yahidne in Chernihiv Oblast, which became known because the Russian occupiers kept several hundred civilians in the school basement.
Source: European Pravda, referring to the US State Department press service
Details: During the visit to Yahidne, Blinken said that he was most impressed by the terrible consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Quote: "It all comes down to the human dimension, to the lives, the stories of men, of women, and children - like the men, women and children who are imprisoned in the basement of this building next to us... And this is just one building in one village, in one community in Ukraine, and this is a story that we’ve seen again and again and again," the state secretary noted.
He emphasised that the Russian occupation army continues to commit atrocities on the territory of Ukraine and recalled yesterday's shelling of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, which killed 16 people.
Quote: "But we are also seeing something else that's incredibly powerful, and that is the extraordinary resilience of the Ukrainian people... Ukrainians are coming together to get rid of the ordnance, to get rid of mines, and to rebuild - to literally recover the land that was taken from them. We're very proud to be partners with Ukraine in all of these efforts," Blinken emphasised.
For reference: The village of Yahidne in Chernihiv Oblast was captured by Russian invaders in March 2022.
When the Russian troops entered the village, they drove the men, women and children out of the houses, threatening them with weapons, and took them to the basement of the local school, where they were held for four weeks. For 28 days, from 3 March to 31 March 2022, more than 350 residents of the village were in the basement, with an area of 197 square metres. 10 people died during their stay in the basement.
Background:
- Earlier, Blinken visited the facility of the State Border Service of Ukraine on the outskirts of Kyiv.
- The US Secretary of State arrived in Ukraine the day before. While in Kyiv, Antony Blinken stated that Washington has seen progress in the Ukrainian counteroffensive and that the US would ensure that Ukraine receives the necessary support both now and in the long term.
- Blinken also announced the allocation of over US$1 billion to help Ukraine.
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