Nastia, Timur's mother, says that the boy really wanted to visit his grandmother in Krama. They were supposed to go home together to Kiev, but the boy insisted on staying for one night. Finally, they planned a trip to the capital to Ukraine by train, which drove nine hours after the Russian raid to Kramatorsk.
That night, Timur slept in a guest room in his grandmother's apartment. His mother was outside the home. Shortly after the explosion, however, she returned to the block in a hurry. In the meantime, her sister called her. “She told me:” they took my mother and they were looking for Timur under the rubble. “From that moment I felt like I was in a dream.”
“A soldier came out and said that he had a pulse and that they resuscitated him. During these 40 minutes, when they pumped his heart, I prayed to God to give him life. But the miracle did not happen” – recalls the woman.
She lost her son and two husbands
When asked about what torments her the most, Nastia said through tears: “I wasn't at home then. I don't know why or how, what forces pulled me out of me. I should be with him. I blame myself.”
Timur lost his father, Jewgenija, in May 2023 in a Russian attack near the city of Łyman. The boy was the only child of Nastii. After the death of Jewgenija, the woman got married again, but her second husband died only six months later to a heart attack.
Timur was an empathic child, careful at the environment. Teachers described him as “a very caring, smart boy, very smart.” Two home rats were waiting for him in Kiev, which he “loved very much”.
“Ukrainian soldiers live among us and we are the goal”
Timur was buried on the hill on the outskirts of the city of Kramato. The chalk tombstone is covered with flowers. There are a lot of freshly dug pits in the cemetery, which shows that the city's pain is far from the end.
On the roof of the block, which was destroyed in the Russian raid, there are scattered plastic toys, covered with cardboard boxes and pieces of asphalt. Timur's blood traces are still visible in the staircase, and the neighbor collects pieces of broken glass, sighing. Another older woman who cares for plants in the yard, whispers: “Ukrainian soldiers live among us and we are the goal because of them.”
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Over 2,700 Ukrainian children killed or wounded by the Russians
According to the UNICEF report published in July this year, as a result of Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than 2,700 children were killed or injured. Timur Grygorenko is just one of them. But behind almost every victim of war is a mother like Nastia. A woman who will never reconcile with the thought that she wasn't there when her child was killed.
The war in Ukraine still leaves not only demolished buildings and more and more graves in cemeteries, but also the ruined lives of those who survived. And stories such as Timura and his mother during the fourth year of the invasion are unfortunately more and more frequent, because Russia in its desire to subordinate Ukraine does not retreat from attacking civilians or killing prisoners of war, despite the fact that they are war crimes.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
