Every day, the firefighters at station 11 go out to put out fires and save lives in the city of Kryvyi Rih. The risk of drone and missile attacks in this part of Ukraine is high. Several fire stations have also been damaged. Odd Steinar Rønne is visiting Kryvyj Rih. His wife is from the city, so Rønne has a close relationship with the city. Photo: Roger Sevrin Bruland / news In recent weeks, the retired fireman Odd Steinar Rønne has lived together with the fire service in the city, which is the birthplace of President Volodymyr Zelenskyj. It was here that he grew up, went to school and studied at the Institute of Business Administration. Rønne says that the fire service is considered a military target and that there have been several missile attacks against the emergency services. – They don’t know if they will come home after the shift. We are too close to the front for the aircraft alarm to warn people. From the time they hear the rocket in the air, they have 3-5 seconds to get under cover, which is often not enough, says Rønne. His wife is from the city, so Rønne has a close relationship with the city. 130 fire trucks Rønne represents Norwegian-Ukrainian fire and ambulance support. These are committed Norwegian firemen and women who collect money and equipment for the emergency services in Dnipro county. They have donated over 130 fire engines to Kryvyj Rih. These are further distributed according to need in the county which is close to the front. Rønne recently came to Kryvyj Rih with a modern ladder truck. A gift from dedicated colleagues in Norway. Now they can replace the old one, which looks like a museum piece. – We have also sent 17 trailer loads with everything you can think of in terms of equipment, uniforms, aggregates and lifeboats, to name a few, Rønne says. The fire chief for Dnipro county has come to pick up an ambulance from the fire service in Gloppen in Nordfjord. Fire trucks donated from Norway. Photo: Oleh Balaban – We are very grateful for the support from our Norwegian colleagues. In practice, half of all the equipment we receive from abroad is from Norway. This way we will be able to help more civilians, says the fire chief in Dnipro county Oleh Kushniruk. The ambulance from Gloppen comes in handy. Recently, 10 firefighters were injured in the county, Kushniruk told news. The fire chief of Dnipro county, Oleh Kushniruk. Photo: Oleh Balaban Fears double missile attacks The firefighters feel that they are increasingly being targeted by Russian attacks. Fire chief Ihor Karelin says that he is convinced that the fire service in Ukraine is considered a military target by the enemy. Several times they have experienced new attacks after the emergency services have been put in place. So-called “double tap” attacks. This means that there will be two missile attacks against the same city in a short time – to prevent the rescue work. – It may even happen that they bomb us several times. But it is our duty to move out without hesitation to save lives, says Ihor Karelin, who is the fire chief in the city. Ihor Karelin is the fire chief in Kryvyi Rih and the one who helps distribute the Norwegian fire engines. Photo: Andras D.Hajdu – It has happened that the fire station is bombed first, then the block of flats next to it, Rønne told news. OSCE: – A pattern Russian forces have been blamed for carrying out double attacks in both Ukraine and Syria. A report last year from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) blamed Russia for carrying out a double attack in Kharkiv. They believe that this fits into a pattern of violations of international humanitarian law. CNN reported in August that at least 78 rescue workers have been killed in Ukraine since the invasion began and another 280 are wounded. Have to sleep in tents In Kryvyi Rih, a total of three fire stations are bombed by Russian missiles and drones. news joins fire station number 11, which has had a large hole in the wall. Inside, the walls are blackened. Fire station 10 has suffered extensive damage to the facade and inside. Photo: Roger Sevrin Bruland The firefighters have to live in tents because the fire station has become too unstable. It is not safe to stay in the building. Since news visited the city, there have been several large missile attacks. The police station in the center has, among other things, been destroyed by a missile attack. Many neighboring houses were also heavily damaged. Norwegian fire trucks put out the fire The fire chief in Kryvyj Rih takes us to a block of flats that was recently razed by a Russian Iskander missile. According to Karlin, all the fire engines that went out to help that day were Norwegian. When Odd Steinar Rønne founded the organization “Norwegian-Ukrainian fire and ambulance support”, he never imagined that the commitment would be so great. Even if the war drags on, he has no plans to step down. – The need is enormous. Through our organisation, we have managed to cover the need in 4-5 large cities. But there is a great need for help down towards Zaporizhzhya and Odesa where there is great destruction, he says. Missile attack in the center of the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih.
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Firefighters in Ukraine fear double missile attacks – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
