Two months ago, Chris Henning Johnsen (30) and his girlfriend moved to Odesa in Ukraine. On Tuesday night, the missiles hit close to the couple’s home.
The Ukrainian defense forces succeeded on Tuesday night in shooting down 14 out of 17 Iranian Shahed drones, better known as suicide dronessuicide dronesThe drone can hover around a target for a long time before attacking and exploding.above the port city of Odesa in southern Ukraine.
The drones were probably sent up from the east coast in the Sea of Azov.
One of the drones hit a commercial building in Odesa, less than half an hour’s walk from the apartment Chris Henning Johnsen (30) shares with his girlfriend.
– It has been a peaceful city for God knows how many months. But now we have experienced two attacks in two weeks, he says on the phone to VG from Odesa.
On Tuesday afternoon, the warnings of a new drone attack spread. The flight alarm went off six times in one hour, says Chris.
The strategically important city was hit by a Russian air attack already on the first day of the war on 24 February 2022.
The Russians have since bombed civilian infrastructure, several have been killed in artillery fire and the missiles that sank the Russian missile cruiser “Moscow” were probably fired from the port city.
Almost across the Black Sea lies Russian-occupied Kherson with battles at the front around the clock.
– We hear the flight alarm approximately 12-13 times a day, but that is mostly because we are so close to Kherson, says Chris.
He can daily see missiles being fired from the Black Sea towards Kherson. Chris and his girlfriend help when they can at the volunteer centre, he says.
– It has become part of everyday life. What should one do? I myself have chosen to live in a country that is at war, he says.
VG was in Odesa last summer. Read the report here.
But despite recent Russian attacks, Odesa is considered one of the quieter cities, where everyday life continues as before.
– It’s going as normal. People take a beer outside in the nice weather, it’s almost like being in Norway. People are out shopping, people go to bars, everything is open, says Chris.
He himself was surprised by how relaxed life in Odesa was when he moved – and how quickly you get used to aircraft alarms and missiles.
– We are out on the town at weekends. When the madam has finished work, we have a better dinner, a bottle of wine, meet friends and go to a quiet and decent club. We don’t bother with nightclubs, it’s just chaos, Chris continues.
Chris is originally from Hardanger, but has lived abroad for several years. He works at sea, one month on and one month off.
He met his girlfriend, who does not want her name in print, when both were working on a cruise ship in Spain and became good friends.
Suddenly she moved to Warsaw – and Chris spontaneously followed, just one day later.
– We started thinking about moving to Odesa after six months in Warsaw. She is from Odesa and wanted to be closer to her family. We decided one morning, after the landlord wondered if we wanted to renew the lease: “Now we’ll take the chance, we’ll get on the bus”.
Now the couple has lived in Odesa for two months.
But it was no easy decision. Chris says they spent two months considering the move.
On the night of Tuesday, the Russian drone attack started around 00:30.
– Every time it’s like last night, all you have to do is put on your clothes, take your bag with you and get to the shelter, says Chris.
A large parking garage will house the residents in 14 buildings.
– We were between 1800 and 1900 people there last night. It was like the last time. People are scared. People laugh, kids laugh. Animals are hysterical, they also notice the bombing. Those of us who are calm try to calm others down, says Chris.
– But you feel it a little on your body. If there are one or two attacks, you feel it a little. You can feel it when missile upon missile and drone upon drone.
– What made you move to a country at war?
– We were in Odesa before the war started and I fell in love with the city. It’s a fantastic city – even now. It has been quiet for many months and has been described as Ukraine’s safest city. But you can’t avoid some bombing here and there, says Chris and continues:
– I don’t know if it’s idiocy.
But the decision to move to Odesa was not made overnight. The couple thought about it for two months before deciding to move.
Nevertheless:
– People can sit at home in the living room and say it’s idiocy. I understand that, he admits.
Chris and his girlfriend have a pre-packed bag with clothes, passports, important documents and anything they might need. The drive from the apartment to the Moldovan border takes 40 minutes, but for now they can’t imagine moving.
– I have said that I will not move until Ukraine has won the war. Ukraine needs all the support they can get, militarily and humanitarianly, he says.
