Ukrainian refugees recall fleeing homes amid Russian attack: 'Our house was upside down, and finally...'

The refugees in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia recount the horror of fleeing their homes and living in a bunker. India Today spoke to the refugees as they narrate their ordeal. Here is a special report.

The Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia is surrounded by Russian troops. About 70 per cent of the state is under Russian occupation. From Melitopol to Burdyansk, the Russian flag is waving over the cities. Here, explosions are heard at regular intervals.

In this special report, India Today talks to refugees in Zaporizhzhia as they recount their stories of fleeing their homes and living in a bunker.

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Tertanya, 68, keeps seeing the terrifying scenes on her mobile. She is watching a video of the deadly phosphorus bomb which is banned in the international world. The clip of burning embers raining from the sky. Terror fills her eyes. What will be the fate of their village, or of their friends, she wonders.

"They started bombing with these phosphorous bombs when I had already left the town and I didn't see them myself, but I was sent the video and the message came from confirmed sources. Some people are still there, my daughter's husband's parents are still there. They decided to stay and they sat in the basement with 30 people. My best friend is still there, too. I was talking to her yesterday and asked her to leave town immediately," she said.

Her village is 70 kms away from Zaporizhzhia. She never thought that her village would be bombed since there is no military base, but she was wrong.

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