A Ukrainian in Kharkiv has said moments of silence bring “small hope it can actually end soon” as bombs drop on her city “like thunder”.
Ukraine has accused Russia of war crimes over the bombardment of civilian areas in Ukraine’s second-largest city, which is 25 miles from the Russian border.
Without a bomb shelter, Anna Proskurnina has been staying in her bathroom and slept in her bath listening to bombshells strike her city on Monday night.
The 24-year-old lives a 10-minute drive from Kharkiv’s Freedom Square, which was hit by major explosions early on Tuesday morning.
“Every time it’s silent, a small hope appears it can actually end soon,” Ms Proskurnina told the PA news agency.
“I just heard something really f****** close… it’s like thunder.
“We live on the first floor so we stay here but every time there is shelling close I can hear neighbours rushing down to the basement.”
Ms Proskurnina said she and her family had wanted to flee Kharkiv on Thursday, but her father’s car broke down so they are now waiting for an opportunity to escape.
Despite having food stored at their home, she said she has lost 3kgs (6.6lbs) since the Russian invasion on Thursday.
“The anxiety is way too high to even put something in your mouth,” she said.
“I took a cookie with a cup of tea today and felt like I’m going to puke… it feels horrible allowing yourself to eat.”
She spends hours a day watching the news while listening to explosions in the distance.
“I feel more anxious when I don’t see any news while hearing them in the distance,” she said.
“My biggest fear would be to lose the internet connection so we wouldn’t know what’s (happening), as a couple of areas are out of electricity and mobile connection too.”
While speaking to PA, Ms Proskurnina’s home lost internet connection, but she stayed in contact via her father’s mobile phone.
Ms Proskurnina she was recommended staying in her bathroom as it has no windows and a source of water even if “from the toilet bowl” if she became trapped.
She has removed the room’s mirrored ceiling and her father has taped their windows shut in an effort to prevent being struck by glass should a bomb hit their building.
On the accusation that Russia has committed war crimes in her city, Ms Proskurnina said: “Those hurt are innocent people… nobody deserves that.
“Sadly they only start using more deadly and mean and violent moves by directly shelling the people’s houses.
“I’ve been trying to connect a logic path between everything and cannot think of anything else but pure genocide.”
