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Transcript/ScriptThis is an interview with Mayor of the southern Ukrainian city Mykolaiv Oleksandr Senkevych.
Mykolaiv is a key city and has been under constant Russian attacks since the beginning of the invasion.
Iryna Matviichuk from the Ukrainian Service talked with him today, on April 14, 2022
Senkevych has stayed in Mykolaiv since February 24, when Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. In this interview he talks about the current situation in the city, their main challenged, needs, evacuation, etc.
ENG alex senkevich on 20220414
[ 00:00:01 - 00:00:12 ]
Mr. Mayor thank you very much for speaking with us today. Could you tell us more about the situation in Mykolayiv right now?
[ 00:00:15 - 00:00:44 ]
The situation for last days is kind of silent, yesterday at night time we got a couple of missile strikes but I could say that in general situation in the city is silent on the battlefield now is 20 kilometers outside of the city of the outskirts of the city. Russian troops are getting support from Crimea's Kherson district, and they're trying to attack our southern east part of the city.
[ 00:00:52 - 00:01:27 ]
They don't have any success on ground operation and each time they lose on the battlefield they shoot us. They show us they're shelling us with the rockets. They use cluster bombs. All the districts of the city were bombarded for the last two months. And I can say that there is no place in the city that haven't been bombarded by Russians. How many people are currently staying in Mykolayiv?
[ 00:01:31 - 00:02:02 ]
For sure, each time I speak to the you are using my social networks, I tell them to leave the city because it's unsafe, because every time we can be bombarded by Russian troops, so people are leaving. We also give them ability to use our public transportation buses, which work now as buses for evacuation.
[ 00:02:03 - 00:02:36 ]
I think we already moved about 12000 people using those buses but the whole number is about 40 percent of people who fled the city. We don't have the exact number but we have the amount of garbage collection and water usage by which we count number of citizens who fled the city. So how many people are staying currently in the in the city itself?
[ 00:02:39 - 00:02:52 ]
Yes I could say that About two hundred thousand. Thank you. Also, what are the top challenges in life today? Water supply? in terms of electricity.
[ 00:02:53 - 00:03:17 ]
Yeah, main problems. All the bombardments affecting our infrastructure, most of all, electricity and all the infrastructure connected to the city because using electricity we were giving water to the people to people using water pumps.
[ 00:03:18 - 00:03:34 ]
Today we have problems with electricity on our water supply station. And I could say that today we don't have water for the for the second day. So we're trying to resolve this problem and give water to the.
[ 00:03:36 - 00:03:44 ]
And media there is talk right now about possible chemical attacks from the Russians, do you have enough protective equipment for the local citizens in case of such attack?
[ 00:03:55 - 00:04:41 ]
Go now for sure. We don't have the amount of protection personal items for protection against the chemical weapon, and that's why we tell people to leave the city, because in that case we won't be able to give them those devices or items personal protection items. And do you have information about the death toll in the city? How many people died since the invasion started in the city?
[ 00:04:42 - 00:05:13 ]
We have 81 persons died and about 300 persons injured, let's say 20 of them are severely injured and they stayed in the hospitals after the bombardments. Only when one missile hit regional administration building, thirty eight people died.
[ 00:05:15 - 00:05:24 ]
36 people were under ruins and two people died in hospital after the hit. How are you personally, are you safe?
[ 00:05:26 - 00:05:56 ]
Let's say we know those cases about kidnapping by Russian troops of mayors and people who who make decisions, but I'm OK, i am armed and I'm personally protected and motivated to protect myself and the city. What will be the red line for you personally to leave Mykolayiv.
[ 00:05:59 - 00:07:08 ]
It's hard to say. For sure, we'll stay in the city and work with the army and secretary of defense till the till they tell me to leave the city. Do you have enough communication with the Kyiv authority with the Ukrainian army? Do you feel like you have enough information from them? They feel protected by them. I have all the information I need from them. We are in tight contact with the head of the regional administration, head of military administration Vitaliy Kim and for sure with all the commanders of the Ukrainian army on my level. So now our municipal service companies are working as you know, construction or development division of Army. We are in really close relationship and we do some military work here in the city and on outskirts of the city.
[ 00:07:08 - 00:07:11 ]
Thank you very much.
