“The deceased's phone rang, and there was the signature “Daughter” - the story of the criminologist Elena Vasilenko, whose photo flew around the world from the shelling of Konstantinovka
A month ago, on September 6, Russia killed 17 people in a market in Konstantinovka, another 32 were wounded. Olena Vasylenko, together with colleagues and rescuers, was the first to arrive at the site of the missile strike. She helped the wounded, collected evidence of the terrorist attack and the bodies of the murdered. The distraught police officer was photographed after the end of the rescue operation, when she slumped on the sidewalk without strength.
Elena has been working in the police for as long as the war has been going on — for more than 9 years. Today she is a senior forensic specialist of the Kramatorsk Regional Police Department. It documents the consequences of Russian attacks and is involved in the rescue of people. During one of the trips, a woman came under fire and received a contusion.
The police officer gave details about the day of the tragedy and what motivates her to risk her life again and again:
“We came to the market, everything was burning here — cars, shopping pavilions. At first, they could not come close, because there was wiring, it was under tension. When the fire was extinguished and the wires disconnected, we found the first two bodies. They were women. One of them had a bag, in it - a mobile phone, to which messages began to arrive, then it starts ringing. I take it and see that it says “Daughter”. I tell her that we are from the police and she understands what happened because she has already seen the news... I had to tell her that her mother is no longer there. Later, we established that the woman, along with her friend, went to the store to replenish the account and call her daughter. And at that moment they were killed by a Russian rocket,” Elena says with heavy emotions.
As a result of the enemy attack, there were a lot of wounded people. The police officer and her colleagues took the injured woman to the hospital and returned back. They continued the search for the dead, pulled them out of destroyed stores, collected from the sidewalks.
“When everything was done, I sat down on the sidewalk. And such despair was... I've seen a lot, but I haven't seen it yet. I had a complete misunderstanding: why did this happen? There were civilians in the same place, women selling flowers, crops from the garden,” the policeman recalls that day.
She admits that working has become more difficult because of the lack of time to do her job:
“We hear how artillery works, we understand that there may be a second strike, but all the evidence must be gathered — correctly and adequately. And you stand in a body armor, in a helmet (and I also have my forensic suitcase, which weighs about 10 kilograms) and you do not know how each trip will end.”
However, Elena does not give up, because she understands well how important and responsible her work is:
“My motivation is people. We have a small town, people remember each other. Sometimes they approach, thank you or ask something. That is, I understand what is needed and I help people... My mother baptizes me every morning when I leave for work. Of course he's worried. But it was my conscious choice. War in Ukraine. I can't drop everything and go somewhere to sit down. This is not mine,” concludes Elena Vasilenko.
National Police of Ukraine
