The story of Ihor Ivanov from Trostyanets, Sumy Oblast, whose wife was killed by the Russian occupiers
AUTHOR:
Ihor Ivanov, a resident of Trostyanets, said that during the Russian occupation, his wife was unexpectedly detained and disappeared. After the de-occupation of the city, law enforcement officers managed to find her body buried in the ground. Ihor still can't believe that his beloved is gone.
The occupation of Trostyanets came as a surprise to Ihor. "I looked out the window in the morning, and tanks were driving in front of my windows. Equipment, armored vehicles, fuel trucks."
Ihor's children lived on a neighboring street, so they often went to visit each other. He didn't notice how one day his wife went out somewhere and disappeared. And then the mobile connection disappeared. Electricity was turned off, and the cellular towers didn't work. Ihor walked and looked for her wherever he could.
Three days after the city was liberated by the Ukrainian military, the police station in Trostyanets resumed operations. Ihor came to them to make an official statement about his wife's disappearance. Two months later, he received the terrible call to come identify her.
His wife's body was found accidentally, buried half a meter underground. Although it was difficult to recognize her, Ihor saw unmistakable indications that it was indeed her.
Ihor recalls that on the evening of his wife's disappearance, another 10-15 people were detained. He doesn't know what exactly happened then. According to the doctors, Ihor's wife was shot in the head.
"My wife worked in commerce. At that time we were growing and selling flowers. We had a small flower business that had just started to develop. The whole of Trostyanets knew her. She also worked in the hardware store for a long time," Ihor said.
Ihor Ivanov doesn't know what could have been the motive for his wife’s detention. Perhaps she was out after the 5:00 pm curfew that the Russian occupiers had imposed. At that time, moving around the city was risky.
Unlike his children, Ihor remained in Trostyanets during the entire occupation. He kept waiting for his wife. He hoped that she would return. Now he is waiting for the return of his children who evacuated abroad. Perhaps they'll come home closer to spring when it gets warmer.
This material was created based on testimonies collected by documenters of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group.
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