NOVYI BURLUK, Ukraine — Katia Vinarska was puzzled when Russian soldiers opened fire on her grandparents’ car.
“Grandma, have a look,” the 10-year-old said, according to her grandmother Maria Kivshar, recalling that chaotic afternoon. “I have a hole here.”
Why the Russians shot at their vehicle, Maria can’t say.
“Maybe they wanted to warn us and shoot at the middle seat, where Katia was sitting,” she said. “I don’t know.”
Tears streaming down her face, she could hardly speak but said she wanted the world to know what happened the day Katia died.
The child’s killing is one of many only now coming to light as Russian invasion forces have been pushed out of Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region.
Maria Kivshar shows photo of her car after it was shot up by Russian troops, killing her granddaughter.
Anna Vlasenko/Global News
At 2 p.m. the next day, he and Katia picked Maria up at work.
“I asked him not to leave Katia alone, she was scared after the night explosions,” Maria said.
The road was empty, and everything was quiet when they started driving. Later, they saw two armoured columns, one on each side of the main road.
They got some 100 metres before the shooting started, and Katia was shot in the belly.
When they called for help, a young Russian soldier saw Katia was injured. He gave her first aid and told them to get to a hospital within three hours.
The Russians also gave them a white cloth to fly and flares to use to signal their presence so they could get to the next village safely.
