23 people were killed in a Russian attack yesterday (Friday) in the city of Vinnytsia, south of Kiev. In the day after the deadly attack, the country mourned the death of 4-year-old Lisa Dimitrive, who was among the victims of the Russian bombing.
Lisa’s mother, Irena, was fatally wounded in the attack. On an Instagram page with tens of thousands of followers she manages, she posts pictures of her daughter, who has Down Syndrome. That day she posted a video ahead of the two meeting with a communication clinician to help her pronounce her first words. In the moments after the attack, her cart was found lying on the street.
Alyona Korol, Lisa’s nanny, said that when the news of the Russian attack on the city came, she saw in the pictures the girl’s green shoes: “When I saw those shoes I recognized them, I knew it was our Lisa.”
Today, we all were horrified by a photo of an overturned baby carriage from Vinnytsia. And then, reading the news, I realized that I know this girl. Knew… I will not write all the words I want to, to those who killed her. I will write to you about Lisa. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/hJsnl6hUyk
— Olena Zelenska (@ZelenskaUA) July 14, 2022
Ukrainian President Zalansky attacked Russia following Lisa’s death: “She was 4. No country in the world would have allowed itself to destroy peaceful cities and normative human lives with cruise missiles and artillery on a daily basis.” Zlanski’s wife, Olana Zlanska, also wrote on her Twitter account that she remembered Lisa from a Christmas video she took with her and other children last year.
Photo: Reuters
Many came to the place where Lisa was killed to lay flowers and stuffed animals. Many mourned her death on social media. A support group helping families with children with Down Syndrome has launched a fundraising campaign for the Dmitriev family: “Today our hearts are bleeding and our eyes are full of tears. Our family has lost one of its own. They found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.”