Ireland’s Simon Harris pays tribute to resilience of Ukrainian people

Irish premier Simon Harris paid tribute to the resilience of the Ukrainian people as he visited regions catastrophically damaged during the early stages of Russia’s invasion.

Mr Harris, who is in the Kyiv region to sign a joint declaration of co-operation with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, started his trip to Ukraine with visits to Borodyanka and Hostomel.

After travelling into the country on an overnight train, the Taoiseach was greeted at Nemishaieve station.

In a convoy containing Ukrainian armed forces and members of an armed unit of the Irish police, Mr Harris passed military checkpoints to first visit Borodyanka, where he inspected apartment buildings and a playground damaged by bombing in early 2022.

He saw the entire facade of one building collapsed and a disused playground where children’s toys lay on the ground.

Mr Harris was guided around the site by the head of Kyiv state’s regional administration, Ruslan Kravchenko, who thanked the Taoiseach for Ireland’s support for Ukraine.

Mr Kravchenko presented Mr Harris with a medal representing the region.

The Taoiseach was told about the suffering of the people of Borodyanka, some of whom were trapped under rubble after the bombing and not able to be rescued.

Nearby, a Banksy mural depicting a “David v Goliath” scene is displayed behind protective glass.

Directly beside the destroyed buildings, a new playground and creche have been constructed to facilitate the return of childcare in the area.

Part of Ireland’s 36 million euro (£30.3 million) funding package for Ukraine and neighbouring countries will support such projects.

The Lithuanian Central Project Management Agency (CPMA) will be given three million euro (£2.5 million) to support the construction of bomb shelters for schools in Ukraine by local companies. It also goes towards rebuilding schools that have been damaged.

While praising Ukraine’s continuing efforts towards EU membership and the overall resilience of the Ukrainian people in the face of war, Mr Harris was introduced to a German Shepherd dog named Hachi, who was returned to the town after fleeing for three weeks following the shelling and is now tasked with looking after children at a nursery school.

In Hostomel, which was also severely damaged in the early stages of the conflict, Mr Harris was able to see the benefits of Irish funding to the region when he visited a pre-fabricated building that is hosting a family forced to leave their home due to the war.

He met Mykola and Nataliia Anisimov who told the Taoiseach that several families used to live in the neighbouring building, which had been severely damaged by bullets, artillery and shrapnel.

Mrs Anisimov said the area “became the front line” when Ukrainian forces decided to destroy a nearby bridge to halt the movement of Russian troops.

Her family and others were forced to evacuate the building, constructed in 1966, but are now able to return to the area thanks to the prefabricated home built using funds provided by the Irish Government.

It is part of the UNHCR Core Homes Project, which is on target to build 300 prefab homes for families whose previous homes were destroyed.

Irish funding will be used to build 50 prefab homes in the Kyiv region at a cost of 1.5 million euro (£1.26 million).

Mr Harris said the Anisimovs had a “lifetime of memories taken from them” when their home was destroyed.

He said he was sorry about what had happened and told Mrs Anisimov: “The whole of Europe wants to do everything it can to help the people of Ukraine.

“While the war is here, it is an attack on all of our values.”

Mr Harris said it was important for him to see the effects of the war with his own eyes.

Mrs Anisimov said she was grateful to the people of Ireland for her new home.

Mr Harris signed a Ukrainian flag before continuing his visit to Ukraine.