Perous Secret Diary - Keep Out

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the A game

serious people doing serious business in a serious place

stepan and me on the long drive west to rendezvous with crew

(this was Stepan's response to Mark from WEM asking how we were going)

stomach is still not right, but along the way we stop for lunch with nazar and Andrei

my lunch is clear chicken broth and a Ukrainian 'guaranteed fix' remedy for my current 'condition': shot of vodka with spoon of ground black pepper

have another couple of shots for good measure, dhyralite, Imodium and paracetemol and make it to our destination without further trouble.

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bucha or bust
found some rain on the way

rain would not be good for my mission here

arrived late in Bucha in time for an amazing home-cooked dinner (which i couldn't eat, except for some cooked carrots)

we are staying with a very generous local family, who are hosting us while we're in their town on this (photo) mission that i don't want to / can't discuss, yet.

feels very strange to be staying in Bucha, knowing some of what happened here just a short time ago.

we were here 3 weeks back

3 months ago, Russians were here murdering, raping, looting, torturing, executing...causing absolute hell on earth

as I'm getting to know Roman (the man of the house) he tells me more about their experience of being in Bucha when the russians invaded and how they were there for a couple of weeks before they decided to escape with their children in a convoy of cars, as the russians opened fire on the convoy and the very car behind them, was hit, as were the people in it.

Roman's stories are so shocking i say 'its hard for me to even imagine' and he says, 'it was impossible for US to imagine it was happening then too'

Bucha isn't like you've seem on the international news: who have mainly focussed on a couple of streets with old houses, making it look like a poor village:

it's actually a beautiful town with modern houses in-between tall pine trees

with children's parks and a pleasant vibe (before and after the russians came and went).

NOW it's quiet and peaceful

but HORROR happened here.

Roman talks about it being a true 'black mass' and we discuss the cruelty of the russian soldiers

we talk about how culturally ukranian people love their children and work to CREATE a better future for them

and how it seems many russians dont bring their children up with love and think to succeed they have to DESTROY what others have.

the denial of what happened here is not AS offensive as what happened here, but it's still REALLY offenisve

when you're here and you see the scale of the damage that was caused across Hostomel, Irpin city, and bucha you can see it would be impossible to fake

there is SO much damge

and when you speak to people that were here and who have lived through this hell, you can see in their faces and hear in their voices that they aren't acting.

perhaps all the doubters and dumbasses should come here and see it for themselves, or shut the fuck up...

Perous Secret Diary - Keep Out: July 13, 2022