Iryna Yukhta, Secretary of the Krasnopillia settlement council, Acting Head of the Krasnopillia settlement community, speaks about the life of the community on the border with the orcs, about smart defence and participation in Shoulder to Shoulder: Cohesive Communities National Project.

By Dmytro Syniak

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Krasnopillia settlement community in Sumy region, which comprises 5 settlements and 38 villages, is a frontier community: it has several kilometres of border with russia. Belhorod is 100 km away, and Sudzha is 40 km away from the community. That is why from the first days of the full-scale invasion, the community fully experienced all the horrors of war: occupation, russian torture dungeons, liberation, destruction... The residents have long been used to almost daily shelling. There is even a page on Wikipedia called Shelling of the Krasnopillia settlement community, which describes a typical day in the community: ‘The enemy attacked the community with artillery (12 explosions), also recorded was UAV dropping of explosive devices (8 explosions), mortar shelling (10 explosions), an FPV drone attack (2 explosions), and a kamikaze drone attack (2 explosions)’. For three years now, the community has been not only surviving in such conditions, but also helping the army, attracting external funds and planning its own future. The community is headed by Iryna Yukhta, Secretary of the Krasnopillia settlement council, after the community leader, Yurii Yaremchuk, voluntarily enlisted in the defence forces from the first days of the full-scale invasion. Iryna speaks about those and many other topics in her interview for ‘Decentralisation’.

 

Iryna Yukhta, Secretary of the Krasnopillia settlement council, who runs the community while its leader Yurii Yaremchuk is serving at the front

 

Community under daily attack from artillery, aircraft and drones

 

What are the key challenges you face as the head of the community?

In recent months, the Sumy regional military administration has announced evacuations several times: first from the 5km border zone, then from the 10km zone, then directly from the settlement of Krasnopillia, which is also 10km from the Russian border. Therefore, we are currently focusing on evacuation, which we are carrying out in cooperation with the NGO ‘White Angels’. More than 7,000 people have already been evacuated, almost half of our residents. About 700 evacuees are children. These figures are the result of a lot of work, since many local residents do not want to leave their homes and households, for which they have worked all their lives. In addition, every person who leaves understands that they will most likely live in a dormitory, in much worse conditions than at home. Not under fire, but without the usual comfort. Moreover, many people do not have the means to leave.

Where are the people who decide to evacuate transported to?

First, to the city of Sumy, where an IDP transit centre operates. There, the evacuees are issued certificates to receive financial assistance, they are also provided with humanitarian aid and, of course, the staff of the centre helps to accommodate the community residents if necessary. We are trying to meet all the needs of our people in Sumy thanks to the volunteers of the NGO ‘Pluriton’ among others. In general, we work very closely with this Centre. In particular, we forward requests from those families who have specific problems or needs to the staff of the centre, and then monitor their fulfilment. They pay attention to our requests, so this work is very important. Our residents are often offered to move to the western regions of Ukraine, but most of them do not want to leave their native Sumy region.

Does this mean that not all the localities of the Krasnopillia community have been affected by evacuation so far?

No, not all of them. The more you move away from the front, the more life resembles normal. The closer you come, the more trenches, minefields, dugouts and firing points there are, along with fewer sown fields. However, in some starosta districts, agricultural, commercial, forestry, and other enterprises operate, filling the local budget. Still, this money is not enough for our community to remain as capable as it used to be before the full-scale invasion. Now we are forced to ask the state for subsidies, which already account for about 20% of our budget. Despite the hostilities, schools, hospitals, cultural institutions, kindergartens work... All of these need to be maintained. Of course, some institutions operate online, but they do. We believe that their teams of workers should be preserved so that they can resume normal operations with the help of their staff later.

Does this mean that the Krasnopillia hospital, which is located 10 km from the border, also works?

Yes, the hospital, primary healthcare units, and outpatient clinics with family doctors work. If there are people, they need to be provided with a full range of services, even despite the war. And medical services are probably the most important. Therefore, these services are provided, although under shelling and constant power outages it is very difficult to do so.

 

A residential building destroyed by russian artillery on the territory of the Krasnopillia community

 

Photo 6. Aftermath of a Russian guided aerial bomb strike on a private residential sector of the Krasnopillia community

 

How participation in the Shoulder to Shoulder Project can help the frontline community

 

Have you found any partners in the Shoulder to Shoulder: Cohesive Communities Project?

Since we are a relatively new participant in this project, and can say that we are only at the stage of signing a memorandum. We have already identified a partner community – the Hnizdychiv settlement council of the Stryi district, Lviv region. I have had a phone conversation with the head of the community and we plan to sign a memorandum of cooperation in the coming weeks.

What are your expectations from this partnership?

First of all, we would like to get support in restoring our destroyed infrastructure. Of course, some of it will have to be repaired after the hostilities are over, but we need some essentials right now. For example, we are currently short of utility vehicles, so we hope that Hnizdychiv will be able to provide us with its own ones to perform the most urgent tasks. There may be a need for a government programme that would bring experts from other regions of Ukraine to work in communities like ours on a rotational basis. As there is a demand for their services. Overall, I would like to exchange experience with the Hnizdychiv community in literally all areas.

What steps to help your community within the framework of the Shoulder to Shoulder Project are the most realistic?

I think right now we can plan joint cultural, arts and sports events. We are also hoping for additional opportunities for recreation and health improvement for our children. As far as I know, the Hnizdychiv community has the opportunity to do so. It would also be great if the Hnizdychiv community could host at least some of our residents for temporary residence. For many of them, it would be very important not to go to some unknown place, a million miles away, but to stay in a partner community that is bound by a special agreement to their small homeland.

Do you mean that if people moved to the Hnizdychiv community, they would know that they would be welcomed as partners?

Exactly. And that they, as partners, might have a certain influence on the life of that community, even if it is through their own Krasnopillia settlement council. Such matters are very important. Moreover, if we received at least some housing, even if temporary, on the territory of the Hnizdychiv community, our residents would not be scattered all over Ukraine. We would know, for example, that some of them live in Sumy, some stay in the Hnizdychiv community. Then we could continue communicating with them, we could involve them in some of our projects and initiatives, and we could provide assistance.

What is your overall opinion of the Shoulder to Shoulder: Cohesive Communities Project?

This project appeared at the right time: it gave us hope that we would keep our unity, that we would not lose our people, and that we would restore our community after the hostilities ended. This project provides an opportunity to unite, it teaches us to help each other. This initiative of the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine ensures that people are not left alone with this horror brought to us by the Russians. Shoulder to Shoulder Project also teaches Ukrainians to unite so that they can resist the enemy together. This is a great project and we hope to see it continue. I would like to emphasise that we do not want to act only as beggars, as recipients of aid. We are also ready to help our partners in any possible way.

You could probably help your partners with your own international connections and experience in finding extra-budgetary funds. How do these bonds and this experience help you now?

We did cooperate with many donor organisations before the full-scale war. These were U-LEAD with Europe Programme, several other GIZ projects, and many others. Many of our international partners have provided us with all sorts of assistance during the three years of full-scale war, and they are still doing so. It is not only humanitarian aid, but also, for example, legal and advisory services. Last year alone, we attracted material assets worth UAH 44 million to the community, ranging from vehicles to construction materials. I believe this is an extraordinary result! Apart from the fact that all this was very much needed by our people, we were also able to show them that we are not left alone in this predicament and that the whole world is helping us.

 

The Krasnopillia lyceum number 1, which was among the best in Sumy region, destroyed by russian shells and rockets

 

‘We never forget about the future development...’

 

Your community has survived the occupation. What were its consequences?

Luckily, the enemy occupied only a part of our community, and the occupation did not last long: from 8 to 26 March 2022. But the consequences of the occupation will be felt for a long time. During the occupation, one person was killed and many were injured. Many critical infrastructure facilities were also damaged; private homes, educational and cultural institutions, and other facilities were looted. All sorts of equipment were stolen and transported from our farming companies to russia. In general, we lost a lot of material assets. The occupation was synonymous with looting for us.

What destruction has the Krasnopillia community suffered as a result of Russian aggression? How many buildings have been damaged or destroyed?

About 700 residential houses were damaged, many of them more than once. Nearly 70 utility facilities also suffered varying degrees of damage. But the worst thing is that russian shelling is killing our people. Unfortunately, last year alone, 13 civilians were killed and 73 civilians were injured. This year, four people have already perished as a result of russian shelling.

 

Iryna Yukhta and Hennadii Demianenko, the then Head of the Sumy district council and now First Deputy Head of the Sumy city military administration, next to the destroyed building in Krasnopillia where a local council employee was killed

 

Do you have any plans for this year? What are the challenges you face?

The main task for all of us today is to stay alive. Therefore, we are primarily arranging bomb shelters. We already have about forty facilities, which we are continuously modernising. For example, 24 out of these 40 protective facilities are also radiation shelters. Many shelters are staffed by people on duty who stay there 24/7 to keep order and ensure free access to them. We constantly keep this issue under special control. In the future, we also plan to increase the number of protective structures and improve their quality so that people can be protected from russian bombs, missiles and shells.

What kind of assistance does your community contribute to the Armed Forces of Ukraine?

We are supporting the army in every way we can. Despite the subsidised status, we constantly allocate subventions from the local budget and purchase various commodities for the army. Last year, for example, we allocated about UAH 5 million to the military for their different needs. In 2023, this amount was much higher because we still had military PIT. We also implement a number of programmes to provide social protection to the families of military personnel, and those injured as a result of russia's armed aggression, both military and civilians. No matter how much money we lack, we cannot cancel these programmes. For us, it is a matter of honour to help these people. Apart from this, we financially support those who are in hardship, including paying some compensation for the repair of damaged houses and providing assistance to seriously ill community residents. The settlement council, in cooperation with the labour centre, also engages unemployed people in community service to weave camouflage nets, which are then handed over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Why was no military administration established in your community?

There was no need for this. Krasnopillia settlement council operates as a single entity: the deputy corps, the executive committee and the apparatus. We hold regular sessions, and everyone works for the people and in the interests of the community. At these sessions, by the way, we also discuss future development. We have concrete plans for this. Though, it is crucial that the frontline stops and the shelling ceases, because russian missiles and shells increase the destruction in our community almost every day, and because of this, we do not really understand what to base our planning on. However, we are making expert assessments of the damage and losses and preparing to restore. Including within the framework of the Shoulder to Shoulder Project. The priority of our community is to help the military, civil and social protection of the population. The rest is secondary.