The story of the policeman from Chernihiv Sergey Klymenko: on February 23 he took his son in his arms for the first time, and in a week he helped to get people out of the rubble
Massive air strikes by Russian troops on residential districts of Chernihiv became evidence of the cynical destruction of the civilian population of the city. On March 3, the enemy attacked high-rise buildings on Chornovola Street in Chernihiv. Then the whole city shook from the powerful explosions. The operative of the criminal police of Chernihiv Sergey Klymenko was one of the first to arrive at the scene and helped the injured citizens.
“February 23 was a very happy day for me: I took my wife and newborn son from the hospital,” recalls police captain Serhiy Klymenko. “We came home and went to rest. And already at about 4 in the morning the manager called me with the words: “Anxiety! It's started!” I quickly got up and went to work. He received a weapon and began to serve. I was part of a crew that patrolled the area of the thermal power plant. When he arrived on the patrol route, intense enemy shelling began almost immediately. Of course, it was unusual for me, to put it mildly. But it was necessary to serve, to protect people. He gathered his thoughts, rejected fear and began to do his job.
The main tasks performed by Chernihiv police officers are the fight against looting, maintaining law and order in the entrusted territory, checking suspicious persons, detaining sabotage and intelligence groups.
— When on March 3 in the city center, on Chornovola Street, the enemy carried out an air raid and dropped bombs, we felt it in another neighborhood of Chernihiv. They realized that there was a great trouble, and immediately came to the place to help. The picture there was very scary. Huge plumes of bombs, columns of smoke from destroyed houses, parts of human bodies scattered around on the asphalt... Many of my colleagues from the Chernihiv district police department arrived on the scene. Together we helped rescuers to get people out of the rubble, to transfer the victims to the ambulances. It was necessary to act very quickly, but also carefully. I remember, the panel plate of the house seemed to hang in the air and held on to the main structure with one reinforcement. This wall could collapse at any moment, so I stopped and warned people not to come closer,” says Serhiy Klymenko.
The bombing of a multi-storey residential complex became one of the most tragic pages of the Chernihiv siege period. Dozens of people were killed and injured. Hundreds of people were left without a roof over their heads.
It was very difficult, but we survived. Even during the shelling and bombing, my family remained in the city, because my wife flatly refused to evacuate with her son. Now we rejoice in our Vladyslavchyk and above all we want him to grow under the peaceful Ukrainian sky!
Police communication sector of Chernihiv region
