“Glass everywhere, bloody people, dead bodies, a one-and-a-half-metre-long crater caused by a rocket hit” – in Sumy, veterinarians Alina and Serhiy Shulga’s yard was hit by a rocket
While some people are saving lives, others are destroying and destroying their homes… Recently, the Ukrainian Veterinary Medicine Foundation received sad news from the frontline Sumy region.
On 17 November, a Russian missile hit the residential area of our colleagues, veterinarians Serhiy and Alina Shulga. Miraculously, both of them were not at home at the time. Their neighbours informed them of the tragedy by phone. Ten minutes later, they were in their yard.
“We were visiting at the time, and people from neighbouring buildings started calling us and telling us to go home, there’s a disaster here, save at least some things. We quickly jumped in the car and arrived. We stayed at home for just one minute and were kicked out because of the threat of a second flight. Fortunately, it did not happen”, Alina Shulga recalls.
In total, about 400 families have been displaced from their homes by Russian aggression, with 12 people killed and 90 injured. The number of people with minor injuries and psychological trauma is beyond counting.
“This is probably the largest rocket attack during the entire period of the war, which took place in Sumy. Thank God, we are alive, but there are a lot of victims, wounded, deaths… These are our neighbours, dog lovers who live in the house. It was eight o’clock in the evening, everyone was getting ready for school, kindergarten, going to rest, a lot of people were just in their pyjamas on the street, but covered in blood”.
Alina says the images she wants to forget are forever etched in her memory.
“Glass everywhere, broken windows hanging on trees, bloody people, bodies of the dead, ambulances, the stench of gas, screams, crying, a one-and-a-half metre-long crater from a rocket hit 20 metres from our entrance, burning cars, horror…”
The vets’ homes were also heavily damaged, as the attack took place two doors down from their apartment.
“We live on the second floor. When we entered the apartment, we were overwhelmed by despair and horror – not a single window was intact, balcony frames were torn out, laminate flooring was torn up, interior doors were damaged, and we were in the middle of the hall. So I ask everyone not to disregard the rules of at least 2 walls, because our friends died from such shrapnel”, Alina said.
At the moment, Alina and Serhiy’s apartment is not suitable for living…
‘We recorded everything according to the protocol, an investigator came. The apartment cannot be repaired temporarily. We boarded up the windows on our own. A gas pipe was also damaged in the yard, so there will be no gas for a month or more.’
Both Alina and Serhii have been working at the 10 Friends Veterinary Centre: she for more than 10 years and he for 12. Both of them often volunteer, helping the military and animals, although they do not advertise this. For example, they are currently rescuing and helping four-legged animals under the Mobile Veterinary Clinic programme of the Ukrainian Veterinary Medicine Foundation.
In addition, Serhiy Shulga is also known to the students of the Ukrainian School of Veterinary Medicine – as a highly qualified anaesthetist, he was one of the speakers of the Veterinary Surgery course.
Now, due to the lack of accommodation, he is temporarily forced to take a leave of absence, while Alina, as the clinic’s senior administrator, continues to work remotely.
“We will go to our parents in Western Ukraine and decide what to do next. I know one thing for sure: we are fighters, we will win!”
Both Alina and Sergiy remain optimistic. However, they now face many expenses and challenges. To support their colleagues, the Ukrainian Veterinary Medicine Foundation has provided them with the assistance they need for the first time.
You can also support the family! Now, more than ever, they need unity and mutual support from the veterinary community, both in Ukraine and abroad!
You can help the family by making a donation to the account of the Ukrainian Veterinary Medicine Fund via this link! In the purpose of payment, be sure to indicate: ‘charitable assistance to the family of veterinarians from Sumy’. All the funds raised will be transferred to Alina and Sergiy.