Teen Saw Russian Soldier Shoot, Kill His Dad In Bucha: I Had 'Panic Attack'

A 14-year-old teenager living in the war-torn Ukrainian city of Bucha said a Russian soldier shot and killed his father when they were out for a supply run.

Yuriy Nechyporenko said he and his father, Ruslan, were cycling to Bucha’s administration building where local officials were handing out aid, including food and medicine. However, a Russian soldier stopped them on Tarasivska Street.

"We told them that we weren't carrying any weapons and that we didn't pose any danger," the teen told BBC during a phone interview.

Yuriy’s father had only turned his head to look at his son when the soldier fired twice, hitting Ruslan in the chest. The Russian soldier also turned to the teenager and shot him once in the left hand and once in the arm. When the 14-year-old fell to the ground, the soldier shot again, aiming at his head. However, the bullet went through the teen’s hood. The Russian soldier fired one last shot at his father’s head, who Yuriy said was already dead.

"I had a small panic attack, lying there with my wounded arm underneath me. I saw that my hand was bleeding," the teen added.

Yuriy said he remained on the ground until the soldier went behind a tank, at which point he got up and ran away.

The teenager’s account comes as evidence of atrocities committed by Russian forces in Bucha continues to mount. On March 3, a Ukrainian civilian was riding his bicycle when a Russian tank opened fire. The incident was captured on video.

Another aerial footage recorded by Ukraine’s military in late February, when Bucha was still under Russian control, showed a cyclist moving along a street in the city. The civilian dismounted from his bicycle and was walking when a Russian armored vehicle fired several high-caliber rounds.

Weeks later, footage showed a body in civilian clothes beside a bicycle at the precise location where the Russian tanks opened fire in late February. The Russians had already withdrawn from Bucha when the second footage was taken. The video was obtained and independently verified by The New York Times.