While Ludmila Lebedeva from the city of Kharkiv speaks to "Israel Today", gunshots are heard in the distance.
It is not clear if they are heard from inside the city, into which some Russian armored vehicles penetrated yesterday morning - or from the distant fields that surround the city.
The Russians invaded the city of Kharkiv;
The Jews in the city tell about the difficult Shabbat they went through // Rabbi Shlomo Segal
"The last night was very difficult. It all started at one o'clock, with incessant range and unending noise. A missile hit one of the buildings near here, but I do not know if there were any casualties. Slowly the voices went away, like a broom moving away from the dirt."
Ukrainian forces in the city of Kharkiv, Photo: AFP
Lebedev is an energetic woman who, despite her age (84), continues to teach the violin at the Beethoven School in Kharkiv. These days are not days as their correction, and the residents are most of the time under curfew.
"Everything with us has stopped," shares Lebedba, "nothing works, everything is closed, even pharmacies. The trams do not travel. Everything is disabled. And with us the alarm also works differently: once the signal is given, everyone must take shelter, and can only leave when possible Another signal, about the passing of danger. And in between, hours can pass.
"What makes the situation even worse is that in the last day a substation was probably hit. So at least during the day it was still bearable, but at night - Egyptian darkness. There is no light anywhere, almost the whole district in complete darkness. We were without phones, without refrigerators, without TV. "There was no connection. There was a serious panic. Lucky I bought a packet of candles a long time ago. It lay and raised dust, but how much I need those candles now."
Residents near the ruins in Kharkiv, Photo: IP
It turns out that Labdava, who has been to Israel several times and has been involved in clashes with Gaza, is using the experience she has gained here.
"There is a usable basement only in the building next door, but I thought to myself that by the time I got there, there would be no point - so I better stay home behind the walls. I find refuge in the foyer, by the door. I have my armchair here. I moved it from the living room, and once it got scary Really, I go to the foyer and light a candle, because at night everything starts at one o'clock, and at three or four everything is noisy and noisy.
"I have such a thick duvet, so to be on the safe side I hung it by the windows: if there is an explosion and glass flies, maybe it will brake smoothly. I do move it a bit from the window so that there is at least some sunlight in the house. And returns to the phone half a minute later: "This is the neighbor, went in to say that water should be stored, because some supply line was damaged. But even so I no longer have a place to fill: there is a full bath, jerrycans, bottles. Anyway, at night I also remember how I was hosted in Israel and once I was attacked on the way back from Jerusalem. I remember getting out of the car on the side of the road and lying on the sand and thorns. Then I thought to myself that hands on my head would not really help me anyway, "I constantly remember what happened in Israel."
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