The tragedy of the evacuees from Tavolzhanka and Shebekino: not only animals, but also relatives have to be abandoned

The Belgorod region is again under fire. According to the head of the Shebekinsky District, Vladimir Zhdanov, in the morning along the long-suffering Novaya Tavolzhanka, where the enemy DRG had penetrated the day before, Ukraine fired more than 70 rockets from the Grad MLRS. The MK correspondent learned about what is now happening in the border villages and cities.

“At Tavolzhanka today, until 8:30 in the morning, there were more than 70 arrivals from the Grad MLRS and over 15 from cannon artillery in the city of Shebekino,” Zhdanov said on social networks. Most of the residents had already left the village. Those who chose to stay are few, and mostly elderly people who have lived here for decades.

“Fellow villagers, try to refrain from traveling to Tavolzhanka,” writes one of the local residents, “It is very dangerous. Armed Forces of Ukraine from copters track movements and hit from “Grads”! They are beating the civilians!”

“A lot of people are now looking for their relatives who live in Tavolzhanka in order to somehow take them out,” Marina, a resident of the Belgorod region, shared with MK. – In the village, unfortunately, there is no communication and problems with other communications. I have a disabled father who is almost completely deaf. Now there is hope that volunteers will help pick up dad.”

The evacuation continues from the city of Shebekino. Many people in a hurry did not have the opportunity to pick up not only documents or necessary things, but also their pets. What they are now very sorry about, but entering Shebekino is more difficult than usual – the city is closed, there are roadblocks on the roads. The day before, a touching video appeared on social networks about how residents of the region returned to a house damaged by shells to pick up a cat from there. Volunteers roam around the area and feed the animals they can, they take away not overexposure. It is more difficult with those who remained in closed apartments.

“We have not only equipment left at home,” Tatyana Yaroshchuk, a native of Shebekino, tells the MK correspondent excitedly. – The most important thing is that a pet, a budgerigar named Doll, is locked in a cage in the apartment. The bird has been there for a week without food or water. She has been living with us for three years, she is very dear to us. My daughter really wants to see her.

Do you think the bird is still alive?

I think yes. Because he can fly around the apartment, he opens the cage himself. If we had a car, we would not hesitate to go already. If only there was someone with a roomy car, with whom I or my husband could go, pick up the bird and things. I really hope for help.

Is there any way to get into the city now?

“People travel through Kashlakovo, I know that for sure.

However, there are no guarantees that the military will be allowed into the city – this is a matter of people’s safety. According to the stories of residents, the central market, industrial enterprises and commercial facilities were partially destroyed in the city. Now the authorities are clarifying the number of destroyed cars and damaged objects, and are also evacuating the remaining population.

“On June 1, he helped the territorial defense to take people out of the city,” one of the residents writes on social networks. – As I put people on the bus, shelling began. There, my grandmother left a bag with documents at the entrance. I would like to know if everything is intact … ”

Trouble, as they say, does not come alone. The fewer people in Shebekino, the more active the marauders are. The criminals coveted the houses of local residents and even the ambulance substation, where expensive medical equipment was stored. According to the head physician of the substation, the attackers opened a plastic window, tore open the shields, and opened the doors inside. The doctor suggests that they might be looking for hard drugs. As a result, the substation employees had to urgently evacuate expensive medical equipment and office equipment so that it would not fall into the hands of intruders. For this, the administration of the Grayvoron urban district even provided them with a special armored vehicle, on which valuable equipment was saved. “I thank my colleagues, employees of the SMP station in the Belgorod region for their help in evacuating the residents of Murom, Shebekino, the property of the institution. Thank you for your courage, dedication, responsiveness, dedication to the profession and professionalism!” – thanked the chief physician Alexei Zhirov.

“A lot of Shebekin residents are worried about their property,” Ivan, a resident of Shebekino who left the city, told MK, “Personally, I can’t imagine who would do this in such a situation. I left the city a few days ago, and then everything around was rumbling, houses were burning. Any sane person will try to leave as soon as possible, and will not risk his life for a penny.

Evacuees from border villages, if there are no better options, go to Belgorod. Adult refugees are settled in temporary accommodation centers, dormitories and rest homes, and minor children are sent to summer camps. They accommodate residents of the Belgorod region and other regions of the country. For example, the day before, 302 people moved from the Shebekinsky District to three regions of Russia. 139 people entered the Lipetsk region, 100 – in the Tambov region, 63 – in the Tula region. Those who can, they drive their own cars, while the rest are transported in an organized manner.

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 29044 dated June 6, 2023

Newspaper headline:
The house where there is no road