Leading Ukrainian Mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv thought he was going to be killed by Russian forces after being ambushed during a mercy mission.
The Mayor of Ivano Frankivsk had driven with bodyguards to Chernihiv, where was born, to deliver vital aid to the stricken city, as it was under attack.
But as his bus rounded a corner on Saturday it was ambushed by Moscow’s troops, who opened fire, leaving the bus “full of holes like a sieve.”
He told the Daily Mirror: “After the attack I thought to myself that maybe God thought I had more work to do here because I survived the shooting.
“It was pretty bad and honestly I thought I had been given a second birthday or it was Christmas all over again because I emerged from it unhurt.
“Sadly two soldiers were wounded in the attack and I am really praying that they will be okay because they are so brave.
“The Russians began to shoot from maybe 150 metres away and the bus was turning around.
“The people I was with were amazing how they reacted so quickly to save us.
“I am just very glad that Russia did not shoot us with bigger weapons.”
Asked about President Zelensky’s comments recently that Russia was killing and kidnapping local Mayors he nodded and said: “Yes - Russia needs to take the Mayors of our cities because they legitimise the power of the government.
“Mayors are valuable here but Russia does not want them because they are democratically elected and they don’t like that.”
