Kyiv Suburb Bears Witness to Fierce Fighting in Ukraine War
The Media Line Bureau Chief Mohammad Al-Kassim is reporting about Russia’s war on Ukraine on the ground from Kyiv.
After a fierce fight between the Ukrainian army and the Russian troops on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv, Russian forces captured the strategically located suburb of Irpin but were unable to hold on to it.
Irpin, for Russian President Vladimir Putin, is the key to Kyiv, just a short drive away of some 13 miles. For Ukraine, stopping the Russian military advance was critical.
The drive from the capital to Irpin would normally take no more than twenty minutes, crossing a bridge over a small river. But on Saturday it took us nearly two hours because the road to Irpin, like many throughout and around the capital, is dotted with military checkpoints, some manned by “territorial forces,” which are armed civilians in military uniforms.
Ukrainian soldiers inspect the damage of a burnt-out Russian tank in Irpin, Ukraine on April 2, 2022. (Mohammad Al-Kassim/The Media Line)
Bullets ripped through the quiet fog of the cold and rainy day as we entered Irpin. The faces of Ukrainian troops were beaming with pride as they checked the charred remains of Russian tanks. The road had become a graveyard for Russian tanks. The Ukrainian fighters tell us that the Russians attempted a counterattack after losing the city but failed.
The Ukrainian army says Irpin has been liberated and that they were able to push Russian forces out of the Kyiv suburb. But not without a heavy price.
Irpin, once home to 70,000 people, stands lifeless; most of its buildings are damaged, and rubble fills the streets – blocking traffic and forcing cars to drive on muddy sidewalks while carefully avoiding downed power lines. Dead bodies are scattered on the streets and destroyed buildings bear witness to the fierce fighting.
The sounds of distant fighting still echo in the background.
A bombed-out gas station in Irpin, Ukraine on April 2, 2022. (Mohammad Al-Kassim/The Media Line)
Despite the apparent Ukrainian victory in Irpin, Ukrainians warn that Russian soldiers could muster another attempt at retaking the strategic suburb.
Moscow announced last week that it would scale back its military operations around Kyiv and focus its efforts on the eastern Donbas region.
