700 lives lost — the aftermath of a month under siege for Chernihiv
Chernihiv, north of Kyiv, was besieged by Russian forces for more than a month and is the largest city liberated by Armed Forces of Ukraine. Nearly two-thirds of the pre-war population of 280,000 fled under siege.
Those that remained are now taking stock of the damage the Russians have done to civilian buildings in the city, including housing blocks, hospitals, schools, a library, and the football stadium.
“This is civilian infrastructure,” Chernihiv’s regional governor Olexander Lomako said as he stood in the stadium, whose grounds are scarred by bomb craters and strewn with missile fragments and broken glass, with seats in the air.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia purposely destroyed infrastructure facilities such as food warehouses, train stations, factories, and universities “which ensured normal social and economic life”. “This is a deliberate tactic by the Russian troops, not accidental,” he said.
