Human stories of this war - with Nataliya Gumenyuk
Feb 1, 2024
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The podcast discusses human stories of the war in Ukraine, including people held captive in basements and buildings bombed by Russian warplanes. Nataliya Gumenyuk speaks about her book documenting war crimes committed by Russia. The importance of survivor testimonies as evidence in court and raising awareness about war crimes is emphasized. The chapter delves into the notorious crime of Yahidne, bombings in Chernihiv, displacement in eastern Ukraine, the illusion of calm, and the importance of supporting survivors and seeking justice.
The podcast sheds light on the human suffering caused by Russian soldiers during the war in Ukraine, emphasizing the need for justice and accountability.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of documenting and preserving the testimonies of survivors and witnesses to support future investigations and trials.
Deep dives
The Unthinkable Cruelty of the Russian Soldiers
The podcast highlights the stories of human suffering caused by the Russian soldiers during the war in Ukraine. It discusses incidents such as the 300 people held captive in a village school basement, the shelling of a crowd at Kramatorsk railway station, and the bombings of residential buildings in Chernihiv, Izum, and Borodanka. The podcast emphasizes the need for justice and to ensure that the true extent of these crimes is known.
The Reckoning Project and The Most Horrible Days of My Life
The podcast features an interview with Natalya Huminiuk, founder of the Reckoning Project, which published a book called The Most Horrible Days of My Life. The book details the war crimes committed by Russia during the first year of the invasion, based on testimonies of survivors and witnesses. It discusses the importance of documenting these crimes as evidence for future trials and to ensure justice prevails.
Overcoming Reluctance and Capturing Testimonies
The podcast explores the challenges of capturing testimonies from survivors of the war crimes. It reveals that while some people are willing to share their stories, others are reluctant, especially as the occupation prolongs and the hope for justice fades. However, it emphasizes the significance of recording these stories to preserve the truth and support future investigations.
Targeting Civilian Infrastructure and Human Lives
The podcast highlights the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure and the consequences it has on human lives. It discusses specific incidents like the attack on Kramatorsk railway station, where over 3,000 people were present, resulting in over 100 injuries and 59 deaths. It exposes the use of cluster munition, intentionally causing harm to the civilian population and emphasizes the need for accountability for these horrific crimes.
Let us look again at the human stories of this war. Let us recall the hundreds of people in Yahidne forced by Russian soldiers to live in a village school basement for almost a month. Let us hear the story of the crowd of people at Kramatorsk railway station struck by a Russian missile while they were waiting for an evacuation train. Let us remember stories of people living in residential buildings on which Russians warplanes dropped bombs in Chernihiv. Let us remember that the war is always about human suffering, and that this war in particular is about unthinkable Russian cruelty. Most of all, let us work hard to ensure that justice prevails.
The Explaining Ukraine podcast speaks to Nataliya Gumenyuk, one of Ukraine’s best-known reporters and founder of the Reckoning Project. It recently published a book of reports from this war titled The Most Horrible Days of My Life (Найстрашніші дні мого життя), telling some of the human stories of this war in detail.
Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine.
UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs.
SUPPORT us at https://www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons.
You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.
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