Iryna Sampan: “I was working under shelling in Kherson, where it was impossible to hide in a shelter as all the basements were flooded”

Journalist Iryna Sampan spent four days in flooded Kherson as a volunteer. Back in Kyiv, she contacted the Kherson branch of the Red Cross and learned about the needs. In two hours, together with her friend, she collected UAH 80,000. She used the money to buy drinking water and hygiene items.

According to Iryna, who prepares materials for the Butusov Plus YouTube channel, the trip turned out to be very intense. The journalist drove to Kherson alone the day after the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant was destroyed.

Outside Chornobayivka was a huge line of cars and vans loaded with aid. Iryna had to wait several hours to drive into the city. The aid was unloaded at the Red Cross branch. Then a message was received that there were 14 elderly people in one of the high-rise buildings in need of water and food. Iryna decided to deliver the aid to the boat with her car, but the Russian troops began a massive shelling of Kherson. Korabelna Square, where people were being evacuated, came under enemy fire.

“An acquaintance of mine from the Red Cross shouted in my direction: close the car and run for cover! But the radio-electronic warfare unit jammed all the electronics. Therefore, I had to manually run to the car under shells and close it. On this day, we were not able to deliver this aid to the people.”

Iryna decided to wade into the water with her colleague Inna Varenytsia because they had high rubber boots.

“We wanted to see the process of evacuation of people. There were a lot of journalists there. And I can say for sure that all of them worked in conditions of increased danger. It’s one thing when you come under fire on land; it’s another thing on water. That is, in addition to injury, you can drown. I realized that working wearing a bulletproof vest and big rubber boots is dangerous for my life. If you’re going to drown, you won’t be able to take off this bulletproof vest, especially if it doesn’t have a quick-release system. You decide at your own risk whether or not to put on a bulletproof vest and a helmet. I decided for myself not to wear them. On the first day of my arrival, I went with volunteers on a boat to look for a dog. And then I realized that I am less mobile in a bulletproof vest, and boots can collect a lot of water and drag me to the bottom. Then we sat on the roof of a building and got tangled in the wires.”

Iryna was only able to reach Ostrov, one of the Kherson districts, where 14 elderly people were blocked by water, on the second day.

When Iryna reached the island, she decided to stay overnight with civilians.

“I wanted to see how they arranged their lives because their house was completely surrounded by water. Fourteen residents of the high-rise building – all elderly – refused to evacuate. I spent a day with them. People said that they lived during the occupation and are now in conditions of flooding. I think it was a very useful journalistic experience. I worked under shelling, but under shelling in a flooded city where you can’t run for cover because the basements are flooded. By the way, a Russian missile has already hit that house.”

Tetiana Uralova

Photos: Iryna Sampan