The Nerubay family lived in Bucha, Ukraine, where mass civilian graves are now being discovered.
by Reuters confirmed that an elite paramilitary force — with a paratrooper division — that reports directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin was present in Bucha during the same time the Nerubay family made their escape.the presence of paratroopers — who rounded up and executed eight Ukrainians — in Bucha.
The family drove for miles, through Kyiv and toward the border of neighboring Moldova. It was a 536 kilometer — more than 300 mile — trek, but it was faster than the journey to Poland, which sits about 500 miles from Bucha.“They weren’t bombing us,” Nerubay said. “They were bombing a military base next to the roads.
The only catch, Nerubay said, was that this station was meant for farmers and agricultural machines — not commuter cars — meaning there was no way to refuel.Nerubay siphoned gas from the old farm stop with his mouth. It took him more than an hour to extract enough to get the family closer to the border, he said.
On the outskirts of Kyiv, the family ran into what looked like Ukrainian forces, ushering cars filled with civilians fleeing toward a new country. They waved at the family — directing them toward a street.“I got a call from a friend 15 minutes later telling me everyone on that road was killed,” Nerubay said. “It happened to be Russians, but they changed dress.”They were welcomed in with a place to stay temporarily, hot food, water and anything else they could need, Nerubay said.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova’s office said it is looking into more than 10,700 potential war crimes committed during Moscow’s invasion, according to a Wednesday, May 18, NPRThe Nerubay family was fortunate to survive. They were also fortunate to have another country in which to settle.