Residents of Ukrainian village Buzova work heal scars left by war with Russia

KYIV, Ukraine

In their small village scarred by the war with Russia, residents of Buzova are trying to heal from the effects of the conflict.

Located near the capital Kyiv, Buzova was targeted by Russian forces in the early days of the war, now over three months old.

Some civilians were killed in the village, while homes, hospitals, and the school were bombarded by Russian tanks and armored vehicles.

The buildings, which were heavily damaged by Russian tank shells, are now inhabited by stray animals.

Despite everything, Buzova residents remain hopeful of the future and seek to return to their normal lives.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Lyubov Ilchenko, deputy manager of the vocational school in Buzova, asked why Russia attacked their school.

"I still don't understand why the Russians hit schools, hospitals, and kindergartens in the village," he said.

Underlining that no Ukrainian soldiers were near the school when it was attacked, he said the Russian forces continued to hit the building for about a month since the war began on Feb. 28.

"There's a crime committed against us ... Real soldiers can't do that. They're fighting civilians, children -- not soldiers."

About 200 civilians took shelter in the school's basement during the Russian attack, he added.

Children traumatized

Besides the village's adult population, children are also suffering from the psychological trauma of the war, Ilchenko said.

"Our children were adversely affected by the attacks and still can't recover. Some shout and cry at night, afraid when they hear a noise. Our children went through terrible times," he said.

The village's people plan to rebuild the school for the children, hoping that "goodwill triumph over evil," Ilchenko said.

Alexander Avdiyenko, warden of Buzova's hospital, told Anadolu Agency that Russian forces targeted the facility on March 6.

A fire broke out in the building due to the Russian bombardment, he said, adding: "There was no one in the village to put out the fire because people were hiding in the basement of their houses. That's why our hospital burned down."

Villagers had to go to the hospitals of neighboring towns and Avdiyenko hopes the war will end as soon as possible.