When a Russian missile struck a Kyiv apartment block at the end of August, one resident was caught in a waking nightmare.
Mykola Yakimenko's fifth-story apartment collapsed around him, raising clouds of debris. In that moment, he said, "I was only worried that my daughter would suffocate from the dust and plaster."
As Yakimenko tried to take stock of the situation, things suddenly went from bad to worse: Part of the building fell on his bed, pinning him in place.
Unable to move, Yakimenko said he somehow managed to stay calm. So did his young daughter. "There was no panic, no screaming," he said. "The child held up bravely. She tried to dig in the rubble for her mother."
The apartment block's other residents were trying to escape or find relatives caught in the collapse. A neighbor searching for his own mother helped Yakimenko's wife and daughter out of the building. When rescue teams arrived at the scene, the same neighbor directed them to Yakimenko, who had been trapped for two hours.
Members of the Delta special rescue unit used hydraulic jacks to lift the concrete slab pinning Yakimenko to his bed. "They immediately said: ‘This is your second birthday,'" he said. "They told me it's a miracle that I survived."
Many others did not. At least 20 people died in the Russian strike on the residential building, and dozens more were injured.
Tips For Surviving A Disaster
With relentless drone and missile strikes hitting Ukrainian cities, the possibility of being trapped in a collapsing building is terrifyingly real. Emergency workers and medics have started distributing safety guidelines intended to help civilians survive such a disaster until help arrives.
One safety checklist published by the Hospitallers Medical Battalion, a volunteer unit, advises people to prepare in advance. Civilians should keep drinking water, a flashlight, and a power bank within reach by their beds.
A whistle is another indispensable part of any emergency kit. A trapped person can also shout or bang on pieces of metal to try to get rescuers' attention, especially at moments when there's a lull in the noise made by rescue operations.
The safety guidelines warn that gas lines can easily be broken in a damaged building, so residents should never use matches during an emergency.
Vyacheslav Tarashchenko, a member of the unit that rescued Yakimenko, warned against trying to escape from fallen rubble before help arrives.
"The main mistake people make is to try to get out on their own immediately," he said. "It's a natural instinct, which is good. But if someone is under debris, they might shift a load-bearing part of the structure holding them down. They can bring down the entire structure, and they could be crushed."
In any emergency, first responders say, it's crucial for a victim to remain calm and not to panic. Psychological techniques for staying composed in a crisis can be practiced in advance.
Liubov Kirnas, a psychologist with the Kyiv Rescue Service, recommends a relaxation technique known as box breathing. It involves inhaling while counting to four, holding one's breath while counting to four, then exhaling and pausing, each for the same length of time. The slow, repetitive breathing can have a powerful calming effect, Kirnas said.
Yakimenko says he had never imagined being unable to escape his own bedroom. He had no emergency supplies or stress-reduction tips at the ready. But now the possibility of another attack seems closer than ever.
"Honestly, with these air raids….I didn't used to be that scared of them," he said. "But now, really, it's scarier than before. Somehow, we'll get through it. Thank God we're alive."
