A boy who couldn’t even cry
On March 1, Andrii Blyzniuk, a 10 year old Ukrainian boy, fled from a village near Chernihiv together with his parents and uncle. Their family’s car ran across a Russian military vehicle convoy. Although the car was obviously civilian and was not a threat, a Russian armored personnel carrier diverted from the convoy and rammed into their car. The iron tracks wrecked the right side of the vehicle. “My daddy died immediately, but mommy wasn’t injured”, the boy says. Andrii’s legs were trapped by the seat. Russian soldiers pulled him out of the car and threw him to the side of the road. Then they began firing at the car as Andrii’s parents and uncle were inside, aiming for and striking the gas tank. The car was immediately set on fire. Andrii laid on the roadside and watched the car burn down right in front of him. He knew his mother was burning alive.
The boy was found by local villagers, who called his grandparents. His grandmother said that the boy couldn’t even cry.
By Igor Berezhanskij. 05/11/2022. Translated and abridged by Lora Colvan
