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A woman riding a bicycle drives past a cloud of smoke from a fire in the background after a missile strike on a warehouse of an industrial and trading company in Odessa on July 16, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photo: Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP
ODESSA, Ukraine - Though the Ukrainian port city of Odessa is the target of sporadic missile attacks, it has become a safe haven for some Ukrainians who say they have experienced far worse in the areas now under Russian control.
Sergey Hasanov, 61, and Natalia Hasanova, 60, from Popasna, Luhansk, fled home in mid-April and sought shelter in Odessa after their children left for Germany.
They say they were living a happy life in their four-room apartment in Popasna, but the war ruined everything in the blink of an eye, a nightmare that continues to haunt them.
"We were in a pickle," Sergey recalled. "The fighting started in the beginning of March. There were constant bombings all the time. They were using all kinds of bombs including phosphorus bombs."
"They used to point their weapons at us. We used to take shelter and hide. We were not even able to go to the toilet. There was no food. Sometimes, volunteers would bring food for us," he recounted.
As soon as the elderly couple arrived in Odessa, along the Black Sea, a woman volunteered to give them her house for free, a generous stance that she believes should be done by all Ukrainians to help those in need of shelter.
After two constant months of shelling which has left much of Popasna lying in ruins, Russia occupied the town on May 8. Out of around 20,000 residents in the city, at least 150 remain, mainly those suffering from disabilities or with special needs.
Sergey Hasanov, 61, and Natalia Hasanova, 60, from Popasna, Luhansk, fled home in mid-April and sought shelter in Odessa after their children left for Germany.
They say they were living a happy life in their four-room apartment in Popasna, but the war ruined everything in the blink of an eye, a nightmare that continues to haunt them.
"We were in a pickle," Sergey recalled. "The fighting started in the beginning of March. There were constant bombings all the time. They were using all kinds of bombs including phosphorus bombs."
"They used to point their weapons at us. We used to take shelter and hide. We were not even able to go to the toilet. There was no food. Sometimes, volunteers would bring food for us," he recounted.
As soon as the elderly couple arrived in Odessa, along the Black Sea, a woman volunteered to give them her house for free, a generous stance that she believes should be done by all Ukrainians to help those in need of shelter.
After two constant months of shelling which has left much of Popasna lying in ruins, Russia occupied the town on May 8. Out of around 20,000 residents in the city, at least 150 remain, mainly those suffering from disabilities or with special needs.
More than 15 centers have been opened in Odesa to help those seeking shelter in the city.
Despite the Russian military claiming it only strikes munitions depots, weapon repair factories, and troop training facilities, the Ukrainian government has repeatedly accused Moscow of deliberately targeting civilian residential areas in large parts of the country.
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