Russian troops are now "running away from the Kyiv region" after Ukraine defeated them, but heavy damages remain after the fighting that has taken place, Ukrainian Member of Parliament Alexey Goncharenko tells Newsmax.
"I just an hour ago left the liberated towns of the Kyiv region," Goncharenko said in an interview with Newsmax's "Saturday Report" host Rita Cosby. "Ukraine won the battle for Kyiv. Now Russians are retreating, Russian troops are running away from the Kyiv region."
However, there are towns and infrastructure that are "almost destroyed," said Goncharenko, including the Hostomel Airport, where the Russians left behind the wreckage of the Antonov AN-225, the world's largest airplane.
The BBC reported Saturday that Ukrainian forces have regained control of the airport, and showed footage of the Guinness-record holding aircraft, which was destroyed by Russian attacks days after the war started.
"It was named 'Myira,' as in a dream," Goncharenko told Newsmax. "They destroyed our dream. It is impossible to kill the dream. Now we have a Ukrainian dream that we will rebuild the country and make it better than it was."
Ukraine's flag has also been raised once again over the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after Russian forces pulled out, according to Energoatom, the state enterprise overseeing nuclear power plants, CNN reported Saturday.
Meanwhile, Goncharenko said he does not think Russia will try again immediately to take Kyiv, and now the danger of attacks is in the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine.
"Certainly we need to be ready for everything and we will be ready if they will try to attack us again," said Goncharenko, adding that in his travels Saturday, he saw "absolutely awful things" and has posted evidence on his Twitter account of "Russians killing civilians, absolutely who were running from Kyiv. They were just killing men, women, and even children just in their cars. [This] highway, which is now liberated is full of burned down cars with people inside…Russians, absolutely like without any military sense, just murdering people."
The Russians have also "deported, kidnapped thousands of people to Russia, including children," Goncharenko said. "We will do everything we can to take these people back to home to Ukraine."
Meanwhile, it remains essential that Ukraine gets the air support weaponry it needs to ward off the Russians' attacks, he said.
"Thank you to American society who are praying for us and helping us but we need more. We need first of all air defense," said Goncharenko. "We are not only holding the grounds, but we are counter-attacking. Russia has the advantage in the skies, using it to attack hospitals, schools, and residential areas. We need S-300, S-400 systems, and the United States can help us with this…these will save hundreds and thousands of lives."
Goncharenko said he also believes Pope Francis' criticisms of Russia and the talk that he may visit Kyiv are "very important."
"We will be absolutely happy to see the pope in Kyiv," he said. "This is the best place he should be now. This is the place that needs the help from God."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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