The landing in Hostomel and the occupation of Bucha: stories of those who first encountered the harsh realities of war.
Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel – these names of Ukrainian cities resonated around the world in the early days of the full-scale invasion. Those who witnessed these events firsthand now remember every detail. RBC-Ukraine shares the stories of a family from Bucha who endured the occupation, a defender of Hostomel Airport, and a veteran who fought to protect Irpin in the initial weeks of Russia's large-scale invasion of our land.
Three years ago, at dawn on February 24, Russia brought war to every Ukrainian home. In the Kyiv region, Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel were among the first to bear the brunt – cities that, alongside others in Ukraine, became symbols of resilience and resistance against the occupiers.
In Hostomel, fierce battles raged for the airport, which the enemy sought to use as a launch pad for the swift capture of Kyiv. The Defense Forces thwarted this plan, destroying dozens of enemy helicopters and preventing Russian troops from establishing a foothold. The atrocities committed by the enemy in Bucha became known worldwide, while the battles for Irpin entered the annals of modern warfare.
Despite the fierce pressure from the enemy, thousands of defenders continue to protect the country today – marking the fourth year of the large-scale invasion and 11 years of war.
RBC-Ukraine spoke with a veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian war, a defender of Hostomel Airport, and a family from Bucha who are still waiting for a new home.
Bucha. A family from the street where almost all the neighbors were killed
During the Russian occupation of Bucha, which lasted from late February to early April 2022, the city witnessed mass military crimes that shocked the world. Russian forces terrorized the civilian population – people were shot in the streets, tortured, humiliated, and looted.
After Bucha was liberated by Ukrainian troops, hundreds of civilian bodies were found on the streets and in mass graves. Many of the deceased were discovered with their hands bound and gunshot wounds to the head – indicating executions.
The mass killings in Bucha were confirmed by investigations from international organizations, and Ukraine along with the global community insists on bringing those responsible for these crimes to justice. The crimes committed by the Russian Federation in Bucha at the beginning of the invasion became some of the first evidence that Russia is waging war not only against the Ukrainian army but also against innocent civilians.
The Patkovskiy family found themselves on February 24 in their home at the corner of Franko Street in Bucha. Vasily, Anna, their daughter Tatyana, and granddaughter Sasha, who was not yet two years old, survived the occupation and threats from the Russians, lost their home, and were left without neighbors – they were killed by Russia.
At five in the morning on February 24, they heard on the news that war had begun, recalls Vasily during the conversation.
"At seven in the morning, I went to refuel the car, then I went to pick up my daughter and granddaughter, and then we stopped by the store. We watched helicopters landing at 'Antonov.' I counted seventeen of them, then just went in and said: that's it. And then it started: Vokzalna Street, the bridges. We didn't leave here until March 10," he says.
The family spent the days of occupation essentially in the basement. When the neighboring Vokzalna Street was bombed, they would go down to the basement for a long time. Between shelling, they tried to prepare food. There was almost no communication in the city, making it impossible to get any news. There was also no electricity.
In the early days of March, the Russians settled in the neighboring house – they were tank crews.
"They (the Russians – ed.) came to us on the ninth. First, in the neighboring house with a tank, then they came to us. They said: you have ten minutes to leave. You have ten minutes for us to let you out. They asked if we would leave by car. They said: 'No, we will not let your car out, we are staying here now.' I ran to the neighbors, while my husband went through the woods to the cellar to get documents. My daughter was gathering children's things that she could quickly throw together," recalls Vasily's wife, Anna.
They were led to the railway line under the threat of a gun.
"He (the soldier – ed.) was small, and the gun was almost on the ground, and he was clicking it, we were walking and shaking. I walked ahead, my daughter with my granddaughter was behind. I constantly held her hand. There is a place where people take clay, and there is a pit. I understood: if I could push her, she would roll into that pit. If they start shooting, at least the children would fall but remain alive," Anna recalls.
As they walked, they heard gunfire but did not understand who was shooting. Later they learned that Russian snipers were nearby. The same ones who shot people right in the streets.
They soon encountered a checkpoint. A dozen Russian soldiers surrounded the family. They were directed on where to go for evacuation. The family left for the Fastiv district. Vasily was the first to return home – on April 11.
"On the eleventh, I was on the street – there was nothing left. All the fences were down, everything was open. There was a destroyed tank over there, a pile of burned cars here. When we arrived – we were in shock. The house was completely destroyed. We filed a statement that we had nowhere to live," Vasily recalls.
In most houses, the windows were blown out. In the houses across the street, no one lived – the people who lived nearby were shot.
"Here stands the house, but there are no people. And there are no people there, and no people here. Three were shot here, two there, three, four here. Four – right across from us," the woman says.
Among the Patkovskiys' neighbors was the Shepilo family. The mother was a distinguished teacher. The son sang in the church choir. The Russians brutally killed them for no reason. When their bodies were found, it turned out that the teacher was left without an arm up to the elbow. All had gunshot wounds, and the bodies were burned. In another nearby house lived elderly people, decent retirees who kept a household. They were killed and thrown into a ditch.
Waiting for a new home
Now the Patkovskiy house is being gradually restored. But the process is not quick – a new house for those affected by the war is being built at state expense for the second year.
"Some installation work is still not finished. As we were told, they ran out of funds. We will move in someday. Someday it will happen. If not this year, then next," says Vasily. They are still living in a modular home.
"When we returned (to Bucha – ed.), we were all unemployed – me, my husband, my son-in-law. My daughter received 860 hryvnias, and even then – she didn’t receive it for several months because they didn’t know if we were alive. Only when the documents were provided did she get that 860 hryvnias," says Anna.
After returning to their hometown of Bucha, they were supposed to be settled in modular homes on "Varshavka" – the Warsaw highway that runs through the city. But on the day they were supposed to move in, Lithuania delivered individual modular trailers to Bucha.
"They brought them right to the yard, and we are very grateful for having a roof over our heads. Thank God I have a roof over my head. I was glad that I could hide from the snow and rain, at least for the time being," the woman says.
Initially, the trailer had a strong plastic smell, making it hard to breathe. Anna coughed heavily. The family was advised to turn on heaters to warm everything up. They also rinsed everything inside three times with vinegar. There was an exhaust fan, and airing helped with the smell. The second trailer is sanitary: two toilets, two showers. At first, there was no kitchen, but the family set it up themselves. After a while, the daughter and granddaughter moved to an apartment, and Vasily and Anna remained alone.
Now, three years into the war, Anna is still astonished by the terrible atrocities committed by the Russians in Bucha.
"No one expected that there would be shooting, killing, and humiliation," says the woman, "How can I forgive? We seem to have learned to live in these conditions and under threat, but it all still stands before my eyes. We will recover. Ukraine cannot not recover. I don't believe that. Little by little, gradually, but we will recover. The main thing is for everyone to return home. Alive and healthy."