After eight months of occupation, the Ukrainian army liberated Kherson. Now free but almost uninhabited, the city is being mercilessly shelled by Russian troops from the other side of the Dnipro river.
The family of Serhiy Rubl'ov, a Chief Engineer at Anglo-Eastern and MTWTU member, survived the occupation in Kherson, refusing to leave a hometown until the end.
He had to make a very difficult decision after being injured by a rocket attack after the liberation of Kherson.
"When fleeing from the right bank of Kherson, the enemy destroyed everything in its path, especially what concerned people's daily life. Everything was being blown up! We were left without water, light, and heat," says Serhiy. "Fortunately, we had a generator at home, so we had electricity. But the situation with drinking water was more complicated. Three streets away, one of the residents was giving away free drinking water from his stocks. Once I was walking away from him with bottles of water and was caught in a rocket attack. At first, I heard a terrible whistle, and I fell flat on the ground. The rocket hit a residential building, and I was thrown back by a powerful blast wave and hit the fence. I can't say how much time passed before I recovered consciousness: at first, I didn't understand who I was, where I was, or what had happened to me. I tried to get on my feet, but it was hard; my knee was badly injured. I couldn't go to the hospital because there was just nowhere to go - the rashists destroyed all medical facilities. So we were forced to leave our home and go to Romania. My knee treatment was expensive, and even now, I walk with a cane; and I still need rehabilitation. I am immensely grateful to the Marine Transport Workers' Trade Union of Ukraine for its financial and moral support. The Union immediately responded to my appeal for help, reimbursed my treatment costs, and provided support with a comforting word and a kind smile. I don't know of any other organisation that is concerned about seafarers like this! Such attention and care are valuable at all times, but today it is more important than ever! Peaceful skies to all of us!"
