Sergiy Karazy and Herbert Villarraga

DMYTRIVKA Ukraine (Reuters) – Wisps still rising from the smouldering tank wrecks, Leonid Veselchagin, a Ukrainian business executive, navigates past the charred bodies of Russian troops. He calls it a living hell.

    For a month, he and his wife sought refuge in a friend’s basement in Dmytrivka, about 22 miles (35 km) west of Kyiv, as Russian troops advanced and occupied the area and took over the homes of some of his neighbours.

The majority of 300 inhabitants fled, but about a third still remained. They co-existed with Russians, who patrolled their tanks day and night.

“They came to our house. He said that they went to our houses and opened the ones they were not allowed to. They were trying to get into cupboards. We were present when they visited houses.

    “I have a very brave wife, she was watching them, making clear that they should not take anything,” he added, sitting in the same basement he had hunkered down in. There were many mattresses laid on the floor and shelves with provisions at the sides.

   Three days ago, while the Russians were patrolling the area, Ukrainian troops arrived. The Russians were unaware of the fierce fighting that was taking place when they returned. Vereshchagin’s wife and he escaped through the woods in their car during the brief respite from the fighting.

    Some houses in the smart residential area were completely destroyed. One hid a badly shelled doe in his garden. The raw flesh was exposed to the furry patches.

    “The Hell started in the evening on the (March) 29th,” Vereshchagin said. “From the one side we could hear tanks shooting at our heads, while from Bucha there was massive mortar bombardment,” Vereshchagin said, in reference to the town further north.

    “It’s something like you having a casque (helmet) and someone is hitting by hammer from above.”

A strong smell of dank vegetation hangs in the air. The rural areas are surrounded by a mist, which is a mixture of forest and fields.

Reuters reporters saw remains of eight Russian soldiers near destroyed tanks along the road that runs through the hamlet.

    One had been decapitated by a blast. The blast had blown his feet off, and left him naked. His arm was still outstretched as though frozen in time.

    “You see that enemy overestimates its potential around Kyiv at least. Yevhen Yenin, Deputy Interior Minister, said that they continue to liberate our cities and evacuate our people. He added that “the first task is to restore the public order in order to supply water, food and communication.”

   To the north, near the Belarus border, lies the nuclear disaster site Chernobyl.

“Accordingly to our reconnaissance, Russians are leaving Chernobyl, but we should be alert for any unexpected surprises that might be hiding there,” Yenin declared.

    Vereshchagin dismisses Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rationale for the invasion – clearing neo-Nazis and protecting Russians in Ukraine. Although he was born in Ukraine his mother tongue has been Russian.

    “I’ve never ever experienced any problems in Ukraine being a Russian-speaking Ukrainian,” he said.

    “Definitely neither I nor any of my Russian speaking friends were waiting for any salvation army, which was completely fake and paranoia.”