Candle wax and tears flow simultaneously under the nave of the church, located on the central square of Lutsk. Ivan and Vadim, born in 1987 and 1994 respectively, will henceforth be for the inhabitants of this city in western Ukraine, torn between fear and rebellion, face to face with war. They are among the four servicemen who died the day before, on Friday, March 11, during an air strike by Russian aircraft on the Lutsk military airfield.
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In the open coffins, while music is played in the church, the two soldiers look at peace, despite the fact that their faces are swollen from explosions. These bombings came as a shock to the population, while this part of Ukraine has been relatively free of bombs so far. To the left of the coffins, women with headscarves are crying, trembling. On the right, motionless soldiers look at Ivan and Vadim, their comrades lying down. “We sacrificed our best sons. It’s a symbol of our love for our country. It’s the price of freedom,” says the dad, who asks, “What does it all mean? Why is a neighbor attacking another neighbor?
The funeral of Ivan and Vadim, soldiers killed in the bombings, in Lutsk, Western Ukraine, March 12, 2022. (SANDRINE ETOA-ANDEGUE / RADIO FRANCE)
At the end of the service on the square, it was as if the whole city had come to say goodbye to two of its soldiers. Elena was Ivan’s neighbor, she burst into tears. “This child survived the worst during the war in Donbass in 2014, returned safe and sound. And then they kill him in his hometown,” she says. Currently. His wife and their child are nearby. You can imagine. What a misfortune!”
“With these deaths, the war is knocking at our doors,” this Lutsk resident breathes, holding a huge bouquet of roses in her hands. capital N. I’m afraid, yes. But this is our home.
“This is not the first time soldiers from Lutsk are buried in this temple, but they have always been soldiers killed by Russians on a distant front. And these two were killed here, in their hometown,” says the mayor of the city. city, Igor Polichuk. The military airfield was attacked for the first time, on the first day of the war. This second attack surprised the residents. “The anxiety level has gone up a notch since Friday morning,” the mayor says. – The level of our training, too. But there is no general panic. invaded us with weapons, be punished!”
The funeral of Ivan and Vadim, soldiers killed in the bombings, in Lutsk, Western Ukraine, March 12, 2022. (SANDRINE ETOA-ANDEGUE / RADIO FRANCE)
The desire for revenge that we find in Tatyana. The head of a local public organization does not skimp on these words when he speaks of the Russians: “It may seem that this is cruelly said, but we are going to bury them here. Our sons are proud, brave, rebellious. a piece of our land to the enemy. I’m not afraid, I’m 65 years old. I’m married to an officer.” She adds a supportive gesture: “If I have to take a shovel and unscrew their heads, I will do it without hesitation.” Tatyana also has a message for Emmanuel Macron. “We have to stop talking on the phone with Putin for hours. He is unworthy. He opens a humanitarian corridor for civilians and bombs them in the process. What it is?”
Tatyana’s ardor contrasts with the despondency that reigns in the military square of the cemetery, a few kilometers away. Before the gaping earth, only the closest remain. The two men linger in front of the gate. “My son is buried here,” one of them said. “And me, he is my nephew,” adds another. “We would have to close the sky to keep our boys from dying. Just close the sky. Because if that were the case, his father whispers, maybe my son would still be alive.”
Ukrainians bury their soldiers in Lutsk – reportage by Sandrine Etoa-Andegue and Fabien Gosse
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