‘I’m seeing children bombed, my people die’: Ukraine army medic breaks down on CNN

‘I never thought I would see this with my own eyes’

A volunteer Ukrainian army medic broke into tears while speaking with CNN’s Jim Sciutto about seeing dead bodies amid devastation brought by Russia.

The young woman, Tara Marharian, told CNN she was volunteering as a Ukrainian army medic and leapt into action after Russia invaded last week.

She told Mr Sciutto: “What am I seeing? I’m seeing my people die. I’m seeing all sorts of horrible things”.

Ms Marharian said she moved from the Donbas in the east – a region that Russians and Ukrainian separatists had fought for in 2014 – to Kyiv for university in 2015. Moscow was able to annex Crimea during that conflict.

Now Ms Marharian is thought to be among thousands of Ukrainians who have been called to respond to days of shelling and bombardment by Russian forces, as well as clashes between the country’s armies following a renewed invasion by Moscow.

On Tuesday night alone, more than 112 civilians were killed by Russian airstrikes in Kharkiv, the second biggest city in Ukraine.

And while total death tolls on both sides are currently unclear, Ukrainian authorities say more than 2,000 civilians have been killed so far. Russian forces say roughly 500 have been killed on its side.

Ms Marharian said on Wednesday: “What am I seeing? I’m seeing dead children. I’m seeing hospitals being bombed. I’m seeing churches being bombed.

“It’s difficult. I don’t know what to tell you,” she told Mr Sciutto, appearing visibly upset.

She explained: “I studied crimes against humanity at university. I studied international humanitarian law. I never thought I would see this with my own eyes in my peaceful country. So yes, this is what I am seeing.”

Ms Marharian, who was studying at the Kyiv School of Economics before last week, has been stationed in the capital city throughout the conflict.

Russian forces are meanwhile headed for the city, albeit slowly, and many residents had already fled before the city’s TV tower was blown up in an air attack, which killed five people on Tuesday. Hospitals and residential areas have been targeted elsewhere in Ukraine.