Another South African Stuck in Ukraine Details Horrifying Attacks: "I Just Heard a Huge Explosion"

• A South African man living in Kyiv, Ukraine described the desperate scenes of frightened people amid the Russian invasion
• The CEO of the Ukrainian Cricket Federation said he was startled by the explosion that first hit Kyiv Airport on Thursday morning
• Kobus Oliver said efforts to leave the country were futile as the airport has been evacuated and streets jam-packed with long queues of traffic

The lives of Ukrainian citizens have been turned upside following the Russian invasion which has seen explosions hit the edge of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv. Reports state that the country has prompted the city residents to flee for safety.

Speaking on the wild reality of living in a war-torn country, a South African living in Kyiv, Kobus Olivier said he was safe amid the chaos.

Speaking to KFM Mornings on Friday, Olivier, CEO of the Ukrainian Cricket Federation, said the explosion that first hit Kyiv Airport, which was targeted on Thursday, was quite scary. He confirmed that it had since been evacuated.

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"I was walking my dog at 5am this morning (Thursday) and I just heard a huge explosion. It sounded like it was right next to me, and I gathered from what I heard later on that they took out strategic targets here with missiles."

Olivier described the desperate scenes of frightened people running down the streets with suitcases trying to leave the city. However, according to him, it was pointless as it only leaves people stuck in stagnant traffic on the highways.

Speaking on the Russia-Ukraine tension among citizens he said:

“No one here wants to go back to the [Soviet Union] kind of life. Kyiv is a good city and the people here live a good life and they are incredibly proud to be Ukrainians. It’s only around the Crimea area where there is a lot of pro-Russians there. But in the rest of Ukraine, especially in Kyiv, they speak Russian but they don’t like Russia.”

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Briefly News earlier reported on another South African stuck in the European country, Vutlhari who detailed the terrifying experience that she and others have faced as they took shelter at underground metros.

She explained on her social media that they had been woken up at 5am to the petrifying sounds of explosives and missiles.

“We are beyond terrified. We have exhausted all the possibilities for us to evacuate at our own capacity,” she said.

Russia attacks Ukraine: Videos of terrifying scenes fill timelines up as people rush to safety

In more news about the ongoing conflict, Briefly News previously reported that Russia invaded Ukraine on the morning of Thursday, 24 February. Russian forces fired numerous missiles at various cities in Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin authorised a special military operation.

Reports state that Putin addressed the citizens of his country on TV shortly before explosions were heard in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Social media has been flooded with disturbing pictures and videos of Russia's attack.

According to Reuters, the intention of Putin and his military operation was not made immediately clear but he was quoted stating that they do not intend on occupying Ukrainian territories. Al Jazeera reported that the attack on several cities began in Kyiv.

Source: Briefly News