Khimych's older son is staying in the family home on the west side of Kyiv, with his girlfriend, child and the family pets, despite the threat of rockets landing on a factory that makes Antonovs (Ukrainian cargo aircraft used globally) within 10km of their home.
“They have been ordered not to leave the house unless it is essential. There is no petrol available and most of the shops are closed, except for essentials. If the siren goes off, they must go into the bomb shelter.
“Our house has a bomb shelter. We were very well organised because of growing up in the Cold War,” she says.
Her younger son has taken her mother to a holiday home in the forest, about 40km from the city, but it is too small for everyone to take refuge there.
“It is quite scary, actually surreal.”
Midrand-based Ukrainian woman fears for her family back home
Woman's brother is fighting to protect his community from Russian invasion
Image: REUTERS/Anna Kudriavtseva
The bombing of an airport and a factory in Kyiv, near her family’s home, has made 44-year-old Ukrainian Oksana Khimych — who moved to Midrand 18 years ago — fear for their safety as the Russians invaded the capital city this week.
“I could hear the explosions over the line. They are being bombed as we speak as this is all in civilian areas,” says 44-year-old Khimych, who phones her older son and brother a few times a day.
“My brother is fighting as part of a community protection unit,” she says.
“I have not been able to get hold of my younger son and mother for the past two days because electricity and cellphone connection has been cut off in the area where they are.”
Her sister has fled with her family by car across the border to Poland.
“We are living hour by hour,” says the mother of two sons — aged 23 and 27 — who could be drafted to fight against Russia.
“They are both of military drafting age but they have never been in the military so they are not trained. But now [the authorities] are mobilising troops and they will take whoever they can find. They are not allowed to leave the country.”
Image: Supplied
Khimych's older son is staying in the family home on the west side of Kyiv, with his girlfriend, child and the family pets, despite the threat of rockets landing on a factory that makes Antonovs (Ukrainian cargo aircraft used globally) within 10km of their home.
“They have been ordered not to leave the house unless it is essential. There is no petrol available and most of the shops are closed, except for essentials. If the siren goes off, they must go into the bomb shelter.
“Our house has a bomb shelter. We were very well organised because of growing up in the Cold War,” she says.
Her younger son has taken her mother to a holiday home in the forest, about 40km from the city, but it is too small for everyone to take refuge there.
“It is quite scary, actually surreal.”
Image: Supplied
LISTEN | Russia-Ukraine conflict: SA and other developing countries 'don’t have to take sides'
TimesLIVE
READ MORE:
South Africans plead for their relatives: 'I am terrified for my family and friends in Ukraine'
Sean Penn joins Ukraine exodus to Poland after ditching car on ‘side of the road’
Ukraine wins the social media war one TikTok at a time
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Related articles
Most read
Latest Videos