LYSYCHANSK (National Times) – The governor of the eastern Ukrainian region now seeing heavy fighting with Russia, Sergiy Gaiday, opened the pockets of his flak jacket Saturday to show gun cartridges and a tourniquet.<\/p>\n
Appointed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, the 46-year-old heads the Lugansk region, including the city of Severodonetsk, where Russians are fighting street battles, and Lysychansk, where bangs of artillery are near-constant.<\/p>\n
“It s a tough situation, in the city (of Lysychansk) and in the region as a whole,” he told AFP in an interview, as Russians “are just shelling our troop positions 24 hours a day.”<\/p>\n
In Lysychansk, there are signs of preparations for street fighting: soldiers digging in, putting up barbed wire and police placing burnt-out vehicles sideways across roads to slow traffic.<\/p>\n
“There s an expression: prepare for the worst and the best will come by itself, Gaiday said. “of course we need to prepare.”<\/p>\n
Gaiday has warned of the danger that Russian troops will encircle Lysychansk by cutting off supply roads.<\/p>\n
“Theoretically it s possible. This is a war, anything can happen, he said.<\/p>\n
“It could turn out that they cut off the region and we really do end up encircled. Maybe there will be fighting even in Lysychansk — this is war.”<\/p>\n
From Lysychansk, Ukrainian artillery is firing at Severodonetsk, where smoke rises from the Azot factory and Russian troops fire back shells and rockets.<\/p>\n
“Look how long Severodonetsk has held out: you can see they (the Russians) don t control the town fully… they can t go further in and they can t put their big guns or tanks there,” the governor said.<\/p>\n
He called for for supplies of “long-range weaponry to arrive as soon as possible”.<\/p>\n
“The fact that the West is helping us is good, but it s (too) late.”<\/p>\n
– No safe places –<\/p>\n
The governor could still theoretically visit his home town of Severodonetsk accompanied by military, he said, “but it s very highly risky”.<\/p>\n
In fact “there are no safe places in Lugansk region,” he said, as explosions rang out in the background.<\/p>\n
His flak jacket was stuffed with cartridge cases and he said he has a semi-automatic rifle in his car “and if I need to, I will fight”.<\/p>\n
Gaiday was born in Severodonetsk and appointed by Zelensky after his election in 2019.<\/p>\n
Of his current role as a wartime administrator, Gaiday said: “It s hard, but I don t let my emotions out.”<\/p>\n
“It s painful for me to see how my home city is being destroyed,” he said, as well seeing those he knew die.<\/p>\n
“It s all painful, I m a human being but I bury this deep inside me,” he said, adding that his task is to “help people as much as possible”.<\/p>\n
– Social media –<\/p>\n
Conditions are grim for civilians left in Lysychansk, who have no mobile phone connection, running water or power. They cook on campfires and shelter in cellars.<\/p>\n
“About 10 percent” have stayed in the city, Gaiday said.<\/p>\n
“We try to talk to people and persuade them to leave. Some point-blank refuse.”<\/p>\n
There is a “small percentage” who are waiting for Moscow to build a “Russian world” in the region, he said.<\/p>\n
Gaiday has a prominent presence on social media including Telegram and Facebook, giving regular updates on the war.<\/p>\n
“You need to talk,” he said, saying this could counteract the powerful influence of Russia s state propaganda machine.<\/p>\n
He said he also wanted people in the conflict zone to “understand that I haven t abandoned them, that I m on the spot and with them.”<\/p>\n
Referring to a potential war crimes tribunal, he also suggested his posts “could even be a small element when we try (Russian President Vladimir) Putin at the Hague”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LYSYCHANSK (National Times) – The governor of the eastern Ukrainian region now seeing heavy fighting with Russia, Sergiy Gaiday, opened the pockets of his flak jacket Saturday to show gun cartridges and a tourniquet. Appointed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, the 46-year-old heads the Lugansk region, including the city of Severodonetsk, where Russians are fighting street […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n