**Ukraine’s Forgotten Victims of Russian Occupation**
A devastating flood swept through Ukrainian towns in 2023, killing hundreds. Among them were Viktoriia Hrinienkova’s family – her mother, father, and grandmother.
The flood was caused by Russia’s destruction of the Kakhovka dam on June 6, 2023. Thousands of people were left without homes or access to basic needs like food and water.
Viktoriia, who had left Ukraine with her family a few months earlier, learned about the explosion from thousands of kilometers away. She desperately searched for rescue services but was ignored.
**A Desperate Search for Help**
“My mom called and said, ‘The water has entered the house. It’s up to our knees. Now we’re sitting on the table. Now we’re on chairs on top of the table,'” Viktoriia recalled her mother’s final call.
Despite her pleas for help, rescue services in the occupied territory ignored her calls. A boat carrying local residents had reached Viktoriia’s family house but couldn’t take them – it was already full.
After that day, Viktoriia’s mother stopped answering her phone. Presumably, it was then they died.
**War Crimes and Accountability**
The destruction of the Kakhovka dam was part of Russia’s ruthless methods of warfare in Ukraine. Human rights investigators found patterns of violations similar to those in Mariupol and Bucha.
Witnesses told of being denied safe evacuation, subjected to filtration procedures, and left without access to basic needs. Some families still don’t know where their loved ones are buried.
Occupation officials reportedly concealed the true death toll, forbade local doctors from issuing death certificates, took control of documentation for the deceased, and transported bodies to unknown locations.
**Unresolved Questions**
Viktoriia hopes to one day return to Kherson Oblast to rebury her family. But will she ever be able to visit their graves? Will those responsible for their brutal deaths ever be held accountable?
The publication of this article comes at a critical moment in Ukraine’s fight against Russia. As negotiations weigh and peace seems uncertain, the lives lost under Russian occupation are being forgotten.
**A Call for Justice**
Peace will not come until evil is punished. The world must remember the victims of Russia’s war crimes and demand justice for them.
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