A Russian airstrike on the building a month ago cut it in half, wiping out the side where Anna Matviyenko’s family lived. He had spoken on the phone with Valentina, her mother, just 12 minutes earlier, discussing plans for how they could leave. Describing their last conversation, he said: “We sent them a route from Borodyanka to Kyiv, how can they escape. Many bridges and roads broke and we sent them a map … and he said we are thinking about how to escape.” Live Ukrainian news: Russian forces abandon tanks in hasty withdrawal “which could be a sign of collapse” Image: Anna says a corpse was found with her mother’s ID next to her – but it was not her From that exchange, Anna, 32, said she had not heard anything. Russian troops were in control of the town of Borodyanka, northwest of Kiev, when the rocket hit. That meant it was impossible for her to reach the ruins from her home in the capital until the Russians finally withdrew last week. Anna dared to return for the first time with her husband on April 4, desperately looking for news about her mom. Rescue crews began digging in the rubble two days later. It is one of the five sites where they dig for corpses after Russian missiles pulverized this city. Image: Locals eat near their homes destroyed by Russian bombing The scene resembles the echo of a huge earthquake, with residential blocks collapsing, and those who stood up blackened by the fire, the windows broken, the interior torn. Wearing a bright pink coat, Anna stood next to a pile of broken, gray cement that framed a deep pit dug into the ground, waiting for new ones. “We will come tomorrow,” he told Sky News on Friday. “It’s difficult because we know nothing exactly – whether they are alive or not. We can not find them anywhere.” Describe the agony of waiting for her. “Of course it’s difficult,” Anna said, her voice trembling, with tears in her eyes. “March was very difficult. In the evenings especially because then I talk to mom and now I can not call her. It is not easy if you can not talk to her.” Picture: The scene in Borodyanka looks like the echo of a huge earthquake She said a woman’s body was found among the wreckage, with her mother’s ID next to it. She was horrified to find out in a Facebook post, but when she studied the photo she realized it was not Valentina, although she says it could have been her aunt. Authorities said they took the body but could not find it. “The body was over there,” Anna said, pointing to a piece of dirt full of debris, such as shoes and computer keyboards, that came out of people’s homes and covered the ground. A short distance from the ruins was a black car that was severely damaged. It belonged to her cousin, Kiril, and was to be used in the escape plan. Instead, he remained motionless, the windows shattered by the force of the explosion. Anna realizes that if her mom, aunt and cousin were in their ground floor apartment, there is a small chance they would have survived. But he maintains that they may have avoided the explosion and may have been forced by Russian troops to cross the border into neighboring Belarus and Russia. Picture: A firefighter examines a photo album found among the rubble of a building Anna said she had been told by some residents that their phones and passports had been confiscated and forcibly removed. She asked if she could send a message to her family in case this happened to them. Speaking directly to the camera, Anna said: “Mom, aunt and Cyril, if you hear my message is that we are looking for you and we will definitely find you. “It does not matter where you are in Belarus or Russia, we will find you. I love you.”
