“When they shoot, it’s like a sieve”

In front of his yellow ambulance, with his bulletproof vest and his stethoscope around his neck, Pierre Pankevych tells how he went from Corsica to the battle of the city of Irpin, which became the lock of the capital, kyiv. “Korsa, that’s my nickname!” This Ukrainian has lived for a little less than thirty years on the island of Beauty. He is a general practitioner there. He took his belongings four days after the start of the invasion to support the victims of the Russian offensive.

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Which makes Peter Pankevych, is that he will rescue the civilians who are still trapped in the town of Irpin. He no longer has a corridor to evacuate them. Three days ago, his ambulance hit shrapnel. “The shooting and the fighting became more active. The people who were still at home said to themselves that they had to leave.”

The Battle of Irpin is fierce. Around of Kyiv, the Russians are not advancing but they are not really retreating either. To the east of the capital, the front at slightly moved back but is moving and in the northwest, the fighting is intense for the conquest ofIrpin. According to the mayor, Oleksandr Markushin, the Ukrainians hold 80% of the ground, but the fight is difficult. “The Russians are sending a lot of troops, with the objective of taking the town. Yesterday we were under mortar shells and artillery fire. And in the end, when we tried to evacuate two families, we got been targeted by rocket fire. There are still 4,000 civilians there. Many do not want to leave.”

In this battle for the defense of kyiv, Pierre le Corse is a volunteer who dreams of being able to raise funds to finance an armored ambulance. “We need an armored vehicle, for the front line. When they fire, it’s like a sieve….” Just to limit the huge risks he takes with others, every day.