Ukrainian woman, 98, walks six miles from an occupied village to safety
For Lidiia Lomikovska, aged 98, the invasion by Russia is a more harrowing experience than the Second World War, which she also lived through.
She relies on her intuition, which is why when Russian forces entered her hometown of Ocheretyne in eastern Ukraine, she and her family decided to leave.
However, amidst intense shelling, Lidiia became separated from her relatives and embarked on a journey westward in her slippers.
Armed with only a stick and a plank of wood for support, she recounted her determination: “My legs were carrying me somehow; I wasn’t carrying them!” After trekking 10km (6 miles), she was rescued by Ukrainian police.
In a released video, she could be seen expressing the devastation of her abandoned village, now under siege by approaching Russian troops.
The relentless artillery fire is reducing entire apartment blocks and houses to rubble and dust.
Reflecting on her arduous journey, Lidiia recalled moments of exhaustion: “As I started walking, I had to lie down a couple of times. I once lost balance and fell into the grass. I had a sleep, and then carried on walking.”
Despite her age, when questioned by an officer about her age, Lidiia amusingly responded, “I said I was 48 or 49, he didn’t believe me!”
She was eventually taken to a shelter for some rest, before being reunited with her granddaughter, Svitlana.
“I’m so happy my grandmother is here!” says Svitlana, who’s sat next to Lidiia on our video call. “We’d been looking for her for a long time!”
Extraordinary as Lidiia’s journey was, she couldn’t escape a telling-off from her younger relative. “I won’t repeat this,” she concedes.
“Oh no, don’t do that again!” was Svitlana’s stern reply.
