Some Ukrainian troops who have battled Russian forces have ended up at Mykolayiv central hospital and are now receiving emergency care for their wounds.
The soldiers were able to push back the Russians slightly from the regional capital, which they had been trying to seize.
A Ukrainian soldier named Dima described his experience: “We started to attack the enemy and came under enemy fire. Our tank, or the turret to be exact, stopped working. The others left without giving us warning. And then the Russian tanks came, we barely managed to get away.”
Another Ukrainian fighter, Artyom, spoke of the serious injury he suffered in battle: “We did not manage to leave because we were hit with a shell exactly into my vehicle. My guys could jump out, they managed to get away but I couldn’t because half of my leg was torn away. Then I got out, rolled over to my guys. We crawled to the road where our military picked us up, loaded us into a pick up and brought me to the hospital.”
Once stable, the Ukrainian troops are transported further west and away from the city of Mykolayiv, one of the first places attacked by Russian forces.
It’s still in the sights of the Russian army which has pummelled the city with tank, artillery fire and air strikes.
In the video below, talks between Russia and Ukraine continue:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address released early on Wednesday that the positions of Ukraine and Russia at peace talks were sounding more realistic but more time was needed.
A senior Ukrainian official said on Tuesday that talks with Russia were very difficult but there was “certainly room for compromise,” adding that negotiations would continue on Wednesday.
“The meetings continue, and, I am informed, the positions during the negotiations already sound more realistic. But time is still needed for the decisions to be in the interests of Ukraine,” said Zelenskiy.
