Russian troops withdraw from Kiiu… “World’s worst war”

◀ anchor ▶

Let’s look at the situation of the war in Ukraine.

The situation in which Russian troops are withdrawing from the Ukrainian capital Kiiu and the north is becoming more concrete.

Reporter Jo Hee-won, who has been covering for over two weeks in Poland, passed through Romania yesterday and is now in Chernivtsi, a city in western Ukraine.

Reporter Jo Hee-won!

Russian troops are retreating from the north, can you see this?

◀ reporter ▶

Yes, there are reports that Russian troops have withdrawn from Antinov Airport outside the Ukrainian capital of Kiiu.

The important news is that Antinov Airport has been withdrawn from an important location that the Russians used as their main position following they captured it on the first day of the invasion.

Ukraine also said it had won a victory in a city to the east and west of Kiiu, and President Zelensky announced that Russian troops were withdrawing from the north of Kiiu.

Ukraine also said it had regained control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which had been lost to Russian forces.

◀ anchor ▶

i See. But, instead of withdrawing from the capital, Kiiu, the Russian army seems to be focusing its offensive on the eastern part of the country?

◀ reporter ▶

Yes, it seems that the battles in eastern Ukraine will become more intense now.

[젤렌스키/우크라이나 대통령]

“Russian forces are moving to Donbas and Kharkiv, preparing a new attack. We need to defend ourselves more aggressively.”

In eastern Mariupol, the worst-hit province, people remain with no water and heating available, and Ukraine and Russia have agreed to open a ‘humanitarian evacuation route’, but bombardment continues.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that the US had agreed to send tanks to Ukraine, which might be a new factor in the current stalemate in the war.

The Korean embassy in Ukraine is moving from Kiiu, the capital, to Chernivtsi, and yesterday visited an orphanage in this area and delivered clothes and toys.

Our investigative team also went with us.

Two hours northeast of Chernivtsi, on a dirt road.

A rural village near the city of Rjaban.

In the vacant lot, people gather, talk, ride bicycles, and children are playing.

Originally a youth campground, this place is being used as a lodging for orphanage children.

About 50 refugees also live here.

The orphanage was originally located 800 km from this place, more than a ten-hour drive away.

An air raid on the city started in the middle of the night, and they moved to this place far away to avoid the bombing.

[다니엘(8살)/우크라이나 피난민]

“I saw a picture of two helicopters crashing into a building in my city.”

In this temporary facility, children who have been separated from their mothers and fathers due to this war live together with the children of the orphanage.

Thirteen-year-old Sasha’s parents left the three brothers to leave for the battlefield.

[샤샤(13살)/우크라이나 피난민]

“Dad and Mom wanted to participate, so I went. But I’m worried and miss you so much.”

15-year-old Sonya’s parents are still in the bombing city.

When Mom and Dad don’t answer the phone, Sonya becomes an orphan.

[소냐(15살)/우크라이나 피난민]

“It’s terrifying. The war left my whole family apart. And I can’t even see my friends.”

Daniel misses his mother and wants to go back to the beach house and go snorkeling.

I asked him if he knew what war was.

[다니엘/우크라이나 피난민]

“(War) is the worst thing that can happen in the world.”

World Vision reports that one in five Ukrainian children has become a refugee in the war.

This is Jo Hee-won from MBC News.

Video coverage Hyun Ki-taek / Video editing Kwon Ji-eun

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