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Ukrainians Hiding In Church As Russian Attacks Continue

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

MYKOLAIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – An elderly lady wipes tears from her face. She and dozens of others hide in the basement beneath a church in Mykolaiv. They’ve just been warned that another Russian airstrike may hit this already devastated southern Ukrainian city.

But a man plays guitar, encouraging them to sing along to remain calm and hold on to their faith no matter what the bombardment may bring.

The footage emerged as authorities said that at least twenty-eight people were confirmed dead, and dozens more remained unaccounted for after a cruise missile struck Mykolaiv’s main government building last week.

Oksana Opredelonava is among the many residents of this city, once a flourishing shipbuilding center at the Black Sea, making the church their new home. “Everything was falling on us; it was terrifying,” she said about a recent attack. “And my daughter knew that if there was any shelling, she had to go to the basement to hide. She’s 10 years old. And for her, it’s psychologically very hard.”

Yet, there was some positive news elsewhere in Ukraine on Friday. Despite roadblocks, thousands of residents from war-ravaged Mariupol were successfully transported to Ukrainian-held territory by Friday.

Ukrainian officials announced the evacuations after the Red Cross said it could not reach the southeastern port city.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it would try to reach Mariupol again this weekend after conditions Friday “made it impossible to proceed” with a major humanitarian mission.

The ICRC had readied a nine-person team to help evacuate civilians as the Kremlin declared a cease-fire in the port city, where Ukrainian authorities have estimated that up to 160,000 people remained trapped in grim conditions.

The shelling destroyed much of Mariupol as a weeks-long Russian blockade severed the city from the outside world, raising alarms about dwindling resources.

However, Russia said Kyiv showed little interest in peace after it allegedly attacked a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod. Two people were injured in what appeared to be Ukraine’s first airstrike on Russian soil since the invasion, the regional governor said.

As fighting continued in the country, European Union leaders urged China to use its influence and help end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during a virtual summit Friday. The meeting was to focus on EU-China relations but was instead overshadowed by the ongoing war.