The head of the Mykolaiv regional administration, Vitaliy Kim, who became the head of one of the cities that faced the most difficulties in the middle of the war between Ukraine and Russia, became the symbol of the resistance against the Moscow regime. Since the beginning of the conflict, the municipality under Kim’s command has been the target of dozens of attacks. He claims that although his city has been a constant target, it has not been shaken by the attacks.
“Love what you’re doing, come to terms with the situation you’re in, find something good in all circumstances, small victories and results,” Kim told The New York Times.
According to local officials, in one of the last bombings in Mykolaiv, a series of Russian artillery strikes hit a residential building. Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the attacks, but said they targeted eight ammunition depots and a fuel depot in the area, as well as a Ukrainian military training base for “foreign mercenaries” near the city.
Four months ago, Mykolaiv was also nearly overrun when Russian forces withdrew from the annexed Crimea and captured the nearby town of Kherson. At the time, Kim responded in daily video messages with a phrase that has become the catchphrase under his administration: “Good morning, we are from Ukraine!”
“It was important to tell the world that we are here, that we exist, and that the enemy is not as scary as it seems,” the district chief said. In March, the city’s administration building was destroyed by a cruise missile, killing 38.
According to Kim, the message worked. “In the early days of the war everyone was in a panic,” he said. “Communication was bad […] You know, if you stay calm, you will make the right decisions,” he said.
provocation to the russians
In the midst of the war, Kim already described the Russian army as a “fool” and, referring to the Russian symbol with the double-headed eagle and the Ukrainian symbol with the three-pronged trident, said that “a country with a chicken in its coat of arms can never defeat a country with a fork in the coat of arms.”
According to Kim, the mockery is strategic: “I’m not saying these things for fun, they’re designed to make our military feel strong,” he said. “If you don’t care about something, it means it’s no longer controlling you.”
Zelensky’s visit to Mykolaiv
Two weeks ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his first visit to the south of the country since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.
The president traveled to Mykolaiv, which was bombed several times by Moscow forces and less than 100 kilometers from Kherson, an important Russian-controlled municipality.
“We didn’t stop working for victory,” Zelensky said during a visit to the city the day after an attack that killed two people.
The presidential office released a video showing the president observing a building badly damaged by the Russian bombing. In addition, Zelensky met with local authorities to discuss the economy, restoration of the water supply and the state of agriculture.
source: Noticias
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