A tragedy unfolded in the border settlement of Krasnopillia, which became the target of a Russian military strike. As a result of a direct hit from an aviation bomb, the parental home of the legendary Ukrainian biathletes — sisters Vita and Valentyna Semerenko — was completely destroyed.
The 2014 Olympic champions, who won gold in the relay, have lost their ancestral home. According to RBK-Ukraine, citing Vita Semerenko's Facebook page, the building has turned into ruins, and the courtyard of the family estate has been wiped out to the ground.
"My Story Has Turned into Ruins"
Vita Semerenko published shocking footage of the aftermath of the attack, which took place on June 29. The photos show destroyed walls and debris where the house once stood.
"Krasnopillia. My home. My childhood. My story. It was here that I took my first steps towards biathlon. It was here that I brought my medals, including the Olympic gold. This was the home where my memories, my family, and my life lived. Today, Russian KABs have turned it into ruins," the athlete wrote.
Despite the destruction of the physical space, Semerenko emphasized that the memory of her homeland cannot be destroyed.
"They can destroy the walls, but they cannot destroy the memory, the path I have walked, and the love for native Krasnopillia. Behind every such ruin is a war crime. And there will be accountability for each of them," the Olympic champion is convinced.
Family Saved
Fortunately, there were no casualties as a result of this attack. The parents of the Semerenko sisters had previously evacuated from Krasnopillia, so no one from the family was in the house at the time of the strike.
Vita and Valentyna Semerenko remain among the most decorated athletes of Ukraine. Their gold medal, won at the Winter Olympics in Sochi together with Yuliya Dzhima and Olena Pidhrushna, became a symbol of the success of Ukrainian biathlon.