The russian military is hanging around like the living dead: what does Sumy look like today?

About Sumy and the humanitarian situation in the city.

Host

Vasily Shandro

Guests

Vladislav Ivchenko

A conversation with writer Vladislav Ivchenko.

Vladislav Ivchenko: Columns of occupiers are constantly wandering around Sumy. It goes something like this: now you drive around, but in an hour or two – you don’t. They are, like in American movies, the living dead, wandering aimlessly around the city. They go to some village. Already 5 or 7 times the column of soldiers went, it would seem, to Sumy, and then at the front of the city they turned the other way. These broadcasts have been going on since the first days of the war.

What does the city look like now?

Vladislav Ivchenko: People and cars have significantly decreased. If before the war, in the last six months, there were a lot of cars in the city. There were traffic jams. Then now, the roads are clear, almost empty. We have problems with gasoline. They give 10 liters, and there are long queues. Public transport does not work. Whoever can walk, walks. For those who can’t — they have to focus on life in their local area. Most stores are operational. Some larger supermarkets have closed, others are open. The stores have everything you need. Pharmacies are working. There is medicine. There are queues.

Tens of thousands of Sumy residents have left.

Vladislav Ivchenko: Sumy’s almost complete if it’s compared to Kharkiv or Mariupol. At first, one residential building was bombed. Then there was the blow to the private sector. Up to a dozen buildings were damaged there. Thank God, not many residential buildings was bombed. A bomb was dropped near a state university. Several electrical substations were damaged. Most of the hits were on the infrastructure. The city government is here and operational. Everything works: electricity, gas, water. There are interruptions, in general they are on and off. City services respond very quickly and maintain at least some standard of living.

All entrances to the city are controlled by our checkpoints. Our territorial defense is coordinated. We are ready to meet the enemy.

All of Ukraine is at war. Now there are no safe cities in our country.

Listen to the entire program in the audio file.

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