Ukrainian Man Who Lost 5 Family Members in Russian Airstrike Pleads for Peace in CNN Interview: ‘Just Leave Ukraine Alone Already’
CNN senior national security correspondent Alex Marquardt interviewed a Ukrainian man on Sunday who lost five of his family members in a Russian airstrike and underscored the civilian toll from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Every day, seemingly every hour, brings new reports of Russian attacks on civilian areas, on residential buildings, on schools, on government buildings,” Marquardt told CNN Newsroom host Jim Acosta. “Today, we visited the village of Markhalivka, just south of Kyiv, and there we met a man who was digging through the rubble after losing five of his family members.”
According to the CNN report, Igor Majayev lost five family members and a friend, including his 46-year-old wife, his son-in-law, and his 12-year-old daughter who was disabled in an accident with a drunk driver.
As Majayev sorted through the debris, “there was a brief moment of happiness when he found one of his missing cats, but the reality of how his life is forever changed has not yet sunk in,” the CNN reporter said.
According to CNN’s translation of the interview, Majayev told Marquardt, “I just want peace for Ukraine, just leave Ukraine alone already.”
“God help this to end as soon as possible,” he added. “I will bury my relatives tomorrow.”
The Los Angeles Times reported Majayev’s two-story home was destroyed on Saturday. When the strike occurred, Majayev was lying down in the room next to where his 12-year-old daughter was sleeping. The Times reported two of his grandchildren, ages 7 and 8, were injured in the strike and taken to a hospital.
“Never in my life did I imagine this situation, and from Russia,” he said, according to the Times.
Walking through the rubble, CNN’s Marquardt remarked: “There is simply no explanation for all of this destruction, for the deaths that happened right here. There is no military target around for miles, this isn’t a strategic village or town that needs taking.”
“So as the Kremlin continues to deny that they are targeting civilians, it is indiscriminate attacks like this one that show the reality of what is going on here,” he added.
Watch above, via CNN
Have a tip for us? tips@mediaite.com
