Being mayor ten kilometers from the war: "I'm staying, it's my people"

Bilopillia (Ukraine)Yuriy Zarko, mayor of Bilopillia, works about twelve hours a day. Whether bringing supplies to a retired woman, in a meeting about Russian mines scattered in the area or visiting a courtyard where a projectile has fallen, this public servant, always accompanied by his drone detector, walks the streets of his hometown, which before the war was inhabited by about sixteen thousand people. "Now there must be about six thousand, but we don't know; before the conflict I managed about twenty square kilometers of land, but now, due to the reorganization of the front, my responsibility has extended to 500. Many community leaders have left, but I have decided to stay, they are my people and I am the head of the council," he says with a vital and bitter smile.

The center of Bilopillia, empty and full of collapsed buildings and burnt-out cars, is less than ten kilometers from Russia, in the border region of Sumy. From its elevated position, one can observe the other side of the border where the Russian contingent is located, behind a grove, where sometimes columns of smoke rise, announcing the fighting. At this short distance, Russian FPV drones reach the municipality with a good degree of effectiveness. "In this area, Rubicon is now operating, which is an elite unit of Russian drone operators; they train here, blowing up cars or vehicles of the armed forces," says a Brazilian soldier who has been fighting for three years.

, to the south of the country, have reached many points in Ukraine, especially in the border towns.

The decision not to leaveThe "human safaris", as these hunts have been dubbed in the population of Kherson, in the south of the country, have reached many points in Ukraine, especially in the border towns.

The decision not to leave

Despite this danger, hundreds of people do not want to leave. "Now that spring is coming, neighbors will return to their homes; think that many of them have a garden and land to plow, and this is almost sacred to Ukrainians, besides they don't want to leave the graves of their ancestors neglected. They have this logic: here I was born and here I will die," explains the local politician. These refugees arrive in the city of Sumy to take shelter, but housing prices there are high and meager aid causes many to return to the dividing line. Living in an apartment in the capital is also dangerous, because in case of bombing they have nowhere to hide or do not receive information: "Here most people live in residences in a basement and communication in messaging applications is instantaneous".

The rhythm of the Bilopillia City Council is frantic. Its workers, between coffees and cigarettes, meet outside to discuss the daily situation and be on the lookout for the roar of an approaching winged danger. And it is always three acronyms that come up in conversation: FPV, KAB, or DRG. KABs are aerial bombs that Russia uses to attack the front or nearby buildings. And they have a large arsenal of these inherited from the Soviet Union. Whether it's 250 kilograms, 500, or more, its echo is part of the usual Bilopillia soundscape. Another more silent and lethal threat are the DRGs, Russian sabotage and reconnaissance units. They are soldiers in civilian clothes or in uniform who cross Ukrainian lines to perpetrate assassinations or obtain information. Taking advantage of the density of the forests, they penetrate these populations and commit sabotage or set explosive traps. "I know all the faces of my neighbors, but with the personnel of our army it's different because they are in various units".

The villagers living in the hamlets sign a paper informing that they are aware of the dangers they may face, such as being mistaken for an enemy infiltrator or other inclement weather. "They assume this risk. The other day a fifty-year-old man died from an attack. He was a young man; perhaps he preferred to live in his home and die than to go to the city of Sumy and be afraid of being mobilized by the army," says Yuriy.

In the mayor's office, a Ukrainian and a European flag are displayed. Zarko declares that he feels absolutely European, that they want to be a democratic society even though the European Union is not perfect. "Look, this enclave has a thousand years of history; we were historically a fortress against Tatar and Mongol invasions. Now, centuries later, we are becoming the same: a wall, but one of containment against Russia".