– It is raining grenades all over the city now, says Guttormsen to news on Friday. Guttormsen has given news access to a video showing the drama that unfolded the day before. Was around five meters away The bang in the video is the second grenade that comes, says Guttormsen. The first should have landed in the water and mitigated the damage. – One hit only five to ten meters from the others in the team. They would undoubtedly have died, if it wasn’t for the fact that they were fortunately on the right side of a heavy brick wall, he tells news. This car was right next to us when the second grenade fell, says Guttormsen. Photo: FREDERIK GUTTORMSEN – Most of us were in the cars when it hit, and we set off straight away, says Guttormsen. He is the initiator behind the aid organization Nor Dog Animal Rescue, which rescues animals in the war-torn country. Lots of dogs There are lots of homeless dogs in the flood-stricken Kherson in Ukraine. The owners have either died or fled the war. At the moment, he is part of a group of ten people working to save dogs in Kherson. Guttormsen is the only Norwegian. All the others are Ukrainians. In total, there are 27 people in Ukraine who work with dogs. Russia is said to have attacked Kherson On Thursday, they ended up in the middle of a shooting drama during the work. – This is not unusual, says Frederik Guttormsen to news. On Thursday, Kherson is said to have been attacked from the Russian side. It is happening at the same time that 29 cities have been flooded after the dam collapse at the front line. Guttormsen says that they have become used to such attacks by now. – They shoot to demotivate the aid workers. But that doesn’t help, he says. Should launch boats A dog is saved in the flood in Kherson in Ukraine. Photo: Frederik Guttormsen In the video, Guttormsen and the other rescuers can be seen ducking and holding their arms in front of their faces during the attack. They were about to launch two boats, which will be used to rescue dogs in the flooded areas. – We didn’t wear vests and helmets because we were about to launch the boats. If you fall into the water, you can easily drown, as it does not float, he explains. In addition, it had been quiet the last few days, says Guttormsen. But that has now turned around. Dogs stand on roofs in the flood in Kherson. Photo: Frederik Guttormsen Everyone in the area, with the exception of public rescue agencies, was recently told that they will not let more people out on the water from Saturday. – Because we cannot continue working, we are forced to leave. It’s sad. There is still an ocean of animals to save, he says. – We have not left and are trying to find other solutions, he says on Saturday.
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