Elena Gocmen Rueda
AN Alicante-born musician who has been living in Kiev for 13 years has been sharing her experience on the invasion by Russia troops.
“They are bombing the whole of Ukraine,” wrote Alicia Panchenko on her instagram account after waking up to the news earlier on Thursday.
Pachenko who was born in Spain but has roots in Ukraine and has been living there for over 10 years said people were preparing to defend their city on the streets.
“Ukrainians are very strong, they will be able to deal with this blow. They are prepared and know what to do to survive.”
She told Spain’s Levante-EMV newspaper that Ukrainians are determined to ‘go out and defend their country’.
“I have friends who have never picked up a gun but are now thinking about going to war. Even grandmothers are prepared, it’s incredible’.
She described how normal life came to a sudden stop. Everything is closed, including pharmacies while people cleared the supermarket shelves and cash machines.
“There is no food and the cash machines are not working. I think we have run out of cash,” she said.
Pachenko said that unlike the many who attempted to flee the capital, she would remain.
“I think it’s too dangerous to be stuck in a traffic jam. The safest thing to do is to stay at home and away from the windows. In case of bombing, go to a shelter,” she said.
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