Technology

Has my father succumbed to the debris?

A young, fair-haired child in a hoodie is perched on a stool. His name is Michailo and he's just turned eight. A man with rubber gloves is cleaning his mouth with a tree branch. Michailo patiently endures the situation, though it's uncertain if he's crying. There's a strong possibility, though.

SymClub

May 27, 2024

2 min read

News, Ukraine, War, putin vladimir, Kharkiv, Burn, Desk Delta, Russia, Death, Politics-abroad, Fatalities, Boy

Gentest für die Gewissheit: Michailo lässt seinen Mund mit einem Stäbchen auswischen

An 8-year-old boy is required to provide a DNA sample in Kharkiv. - Has my father succumbed to the debris?

A young boy refuses to undergo the swab test as he might be infected with the coronavirus. Sadly, his father may no longer exist.

The individual wearing gloves extracts a DNA sample from Michailo. It is crucial to determine his father's identity. Unfortunately, there may not be much of him left to be identified.

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, May 25th, in Kharkiv - Ukraine's second-largest city, the sun was shining, and the temperature was a comfortable 20 degrees Celsius. People were busy with their weekend errands, and Michailo was anticipating his father's return. But at 4 pm, there were distressing explosions, and a tree market in the residential area caught fire. A substantial black smoke cloud soared up.

Putin, the Kremlin tyrant, dispatched a glide bomb to annihilate the tree market, where Michailo's father worked. This was an audacious attack on innocent civilians!

Michailo's papa wouldn't be arriving that Saturday, and his mother comprehended the gravity of the situation. She approached the authorities for assistance. Accompanied by her son, who was the only close relative of his dad, they turned to the helpers since only his DNA could lead to his identification.

Over 200 people were reportedly present at the site. Sixteen people had already been identified, and their partial remains had been retrieved.

Sergey Bolwinov, the head of the police investigation in the Kharkiv region, uploaded a photograph of Michailo on his Facebook page. He states that some relatives had already provided their DNA samples. This is the only way to determine the identity of the charred victims.

"Investigators and forensic professionals have toiled throughout the night in the ashes of the tree market, trying to locate any human remains. We fear we will need to sift through the ashes in search of the victims."

Michailo's situation is heartbreaking. He is not only bereaved of his father but also cannot afford to see him one final time.