BBC journalist Clive Myrie reflected on his time reporting on the conflict in Ukraine, describing the “rumour and terror” currently consuming his capital.
After spending two weeks reporting from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, Clive, 57, returns to London, having traveled to Romania after leaving Ukraine via Moldova.
Writing for the BBC, Clive, who studied law at the University of Sussex, recalled the palpable fear among those sheltering in makeshift bomb shelters in Kyiv.
A small thank you for all your good wishes over the past 2 weeks, you have all been very kind to me and the BBC teams in Ukraine. I’m going back to London now, but I’ll be back. #UkraineRussianWar #Ukraine
— Clive Myrie (@CliveMyrieBBC) March 8, 2022
He said: “You could see the nervousness on the faces of the soldiers and partisans manning the checkpoints, despite the black balaclavas protecting them from the cold. Their eyes told stories of apprehension, worry, worry and existential threat.
Clive himself was staying in an underground car park in central Kiev, which had become a makeshift bomb shelter.
Reflecting on the constant threat of attack from Russian forces, he wrote: “The city was flooded with rumors and terror.
My thoughts are with the million people who fled #Ukraine because they could be killed. The millions who fled #Syria and many other millions fleeing repression, poverty, war. They are all praying to be welcomed into other countries as human beings. That’s all they ask 2/2 #refugees pic.twitter.com/cV4bpO9zt0
— Clive Myrie (@CliveMyrieBBC) March 6, 2022
“Who could it be in the air-raid shelter next to you, listening to your conversation in the bread queue? Best to stay inside and observe curfew.”
“Villages, towns and cities across the country watched as citizens descended underground to subterranean worlds of refuge.”
Clive specifically recalled a woman he saw giving birdseed to pigeons after a weekend curfew was lifted.
He wrote: “I can’t get the image of the woman feeding the pigeons out of my head. She risked bombs and missiles to feed the pigeons.
“To me she represents strength and courage – the indomitable of an independent state, not the quivering fear of the colonized.”
In a tweet, Clive then thanked members of the public for the support he received during his time in Ukraine.
In a heartfelt social media post, written as he left Kyiv, Clive expressed his sympathy to the families trying to leave the country.
He said: “My thoughts are with the million people who have fled Ukraine because they could be killed.
“The millions who fled Syria and many more millions fleeing repression, poverty, war.
“They are all praying to be welcomed into other countries as human beings. That’s all they want.”
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-09 14:18:16
