KYIV – The National Herald, continuing its coverage of the war, visited apartment buildings in Kiev that were completely destroyed by the ruthless shelling of the Russian forces.

TNH war correspondent Anna Sarigianni captured the scene of the complete devastation with her camera and spoke with people who saw their lives change overnight.

With the despair painted in his eyes, Mr. Fedor collects what is left in the debris. Broken furniture, damaged family heirlooms, personal belongings of his unfortunate late wife were lost in an instant. A lifetime’s work, reduced to rubble. Mr. Fedor saw the catastrophe coming a week ago in a dream. And afterwards the end. A loud noise, an incredible vibration, it seemed like virtual reality.

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“I was just sitting in the corner reading my book. In the other corner of the room my brother was laying down. And darkness came. A lifetime’s work was lost in a minute. And I knew it, if you want to believe it. I had seen it in a dream a week ago,” he told TNH.

Inside the apartment building that was destroyed, TNH found heartbreaking images. Wedding stefana (crowns), photo albums capturing childhood, souvenirs from travels and heirlooms were lost, as the screams of the occupants at the time of the explosion brought to mind a scene from a horror movie. “Children were screaming, mothers were shouting for their children. Crying and screaming everywhere. This is what war brings,” he told TNH looking at the remnants of his neighbor’s apartments which hide pain and sadness. The occupants of the other apartments do not have the mental strength to be in the place that was once home. In the same landscape a musician covers the sound of deafening silence with a cello, honoring those who were lost.

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Fierce battles in the villages

In the villages, TNH finds skeletons of tanks between houses, yards, and people left to watch the disaster unfolding around them. On the ground, the remains of a uniform and a helmet which belonged to a young soldier. He was Russian. The smoke and the smell of burning land lingers, drawing us back to reality. The battle took place a few hours ago. Despair haunts the faces of the inhabitants as they look at this apocalyptic scene- damaged roofs, demolished houses, broken lives.

Explosion 500 meters away from us

The sound of the war does not stop. Consecutive explosions can be heard at a distance of 800 meters. Rival forces are fighting to gain ground. TNH is so devoted to reporting that it takes a few seconds to realize that the whistle coming from above us is a rocket. The voices of the military bring us back to reality. “Get down… To the shelter quickly.” TNH along with the crew from Star channel collaborate to cover the news. Star journalist Lefki Georgaki, who records the report, runs to grab the microphone. The soldiers are still shouting for us to come in. For a few minutes everyone is frozen, nobody says a word. The silence breaks when the other crew members ask if we had the plan. We had it… The war continues.