The Malta Independent journalists Neil Camilleri and Giuseppe Attard came under Russian artillery fire while accompanying volunteers delivering humanitarian aid near Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sunday afternoon.
The journalists, who have been covering the war in eastern Ukraine for the past two weeks, were unhurt, but they credited their driver’s skills for getting out of the area unscathed.
Camilleri and Attard, together with Ukrainian press officer Liza Kozlenko, set out in the morning with volunteers Andriy and Sergey, visiting several villages on the outskirts of Kharkiv.
An elderly resident receives humanitarian aid from the volunteers
The volunteers, part of a group interviewed by this newsroom last week, were delivering vital medical supplies and food to families marooned in the villages located close to the front line. The area is less than 20km from the Russian border and between 5 to 7km from the fighting.
On the way to the villages, the TMI team witnessed scenes of carnage, including blown up Russian and Ukrainian tanks, trucks and fuel tankers. Unexploded shells were seen scattered along the roadside, next to a destroyed Russian artillery piece.
A destroyed Russian military fuel tanker
Anti-aircraft missiles were being fired from an area close to where the team was filming, and the volunteers explained that the Ukrainians were probably trying to shoot down a Russian surveillance drone. The Ukrainians were also firing with artillery at Russian positions.
Upon arriving at the first village, the volunteers started searching for the residents that needed the supplies. Some of the families could not be reached as they were likely hiding in their basement shelters. It was explained to the team that the residents are spending many hours underground due to the constant shelling.
Andriy, one of the volunteers accompanying the TMI journalists
As soon as the volunteers managed to make their first delivery, Russian shells started raining down in the area, landing not more than a kilometre away.
Despite the ongoing barrage, the volunteers drove from home to home, delivering the much-needed supplies.
Sergey, the other volunteer on the team
They visit the area at least once a week.
Throughout the afternoon, Camilleri and Attard spoke with several of the families who were receiving the aid, including Mykola, who explained that the family refused to flee.
Mykola explained that he would never flee his country
“I stayed because this is my motherland. I am not going to flee. If we run away, our land will disappear. We live today, not knowing what will happen tomorrow. We’re strong, we’re Ukrainians. No one will conquer us. We are normal and good people, and we wish peace for everyone.”
Mykola's family, including their dog, Mucha
Later in the day, the team drove by a church that had been hit by a rocket a couple of hours earlier. The residents had already boarded up the broken windows and cleared the debris. Luckily, the damage was minimal.
“Why did they shoot at our church? What is its military value?” asked one of the men.
Residents fixing the damaged village church after a Russian rocket attack
A group of locals who had gathered in front of the church agreed that the Russians shoot at anything and anyone, including civilian targets, indiscriminately.
The volunteers then informed the journalists that they would make one last supply run before heading back to the city. The village they would be visiting is located closer to the fighting.
An unexploded Russian artillery shell lies on the side of the road
The team was driving along a long and deserted country road when the Russian artillery came in. The vehicle they were in was a black Hyundai SUV - clearly a civilian vehicle.
There were no military targets in the vicinity and the area is mostly deserted.
All of a sudden, there was a huge explosion on the right side of the vehicle and the team saw the shell explode in a field, not more than 200 metres away.
A crater left by Russian shelling at one of the villages
The driver, Andriy, immediately stopped the car and started to turn the vehicle around. He has enough experience to know that we were being targetted.
“We are probably being watched by a Russian drone which is spotting for their artillery,” he said.
Seconds after Andriy started driving back the way the team had come, a second, much-louder explosion was heard coming from behind the vehicle, with the team feeling its shockwave.
"Look, these are the souvenirs Russia sends us every day," said Mykola
The driver sped away from the area, not slowing down until the team was at a safe distance.
“It is hard to comprehend how the Russian forces can shoot at a civilian vehicle that was clearly no threat to them,” said Camilleri and Attard. “We were lucky to get out unhurt but so many innocent people have died here in similar attacks. The situation is surreal, with people trying to get about their daily lives and shells falling around them, destroying their homes every day.”
Many houses have been destroyed by the constant shelling. The area is very close to the Russian border
The journalists also expressed their admiration for people like Andrii and Sergey, who risk their lives on a daily basis to help those in need.
Photos: Giuseppe Attard
Our team in Ukraine would like to thank the following companies for their support:
GO- for providing them with unlimited mobile data.
Moneybase, EY Malta, APS Bank, Jesmond Mizzi Financial Advisors, Multi Packaging Limited for providing financial support.
The Malta Police Force for providing the team with protective equipment.