Tragic news as Holocaust survivor found dead in basement in besieged city of Mariupol, Ukraine

Holocaust survivor found dead in a basement in the besieged city of Mariupol, Ukraine.

The 91-year-old woman escaped the Nazis by hiding in a basement 81 years ago.

91-YEAR-OLD Holocaust survivor Vanda Semyonovna Obiedkova was found dead in a basement in the besieged city of Mariupol, Ukraine, 81 years after hiding in a basement to escape the Nazis.

The news of her death was shared by her daughter Larissa, who reported to the Jewish organisation, Chabad.org, that her mother had died “living like [an] animal” on April 4.

Larissa told Chabad.org: “Mama didn’t deserve such a death.

“There was no water, no electricity, no heat—and it was unbearably cold. We were living like animals!”

She added: “Every time a bomb fell, the entire building shook. My mother kept saying she didn’t remember anything like this during the [Second World War].”

Speaking about the attacks from Russian forces on the city, Larissa said: “I’m so sorry for the people of Mariupol,” she said. “There’s no city, no work, no home—nothing. What is there to return to? For what? It’s all gone. Our parents wanted us to live better than they did, but here we are repeating their lives again.”

Larissa fled the city with her family before revealing the death of her mother. Russia have gained a stranglehold over Mariupol, in which only Ukrainian forces remain, reportedly penned into the Azovstal steel plant by Russian forces.

The news of Vanda Obiedkova’s death comes after another Holocaust survivor, 96-year-old Boris Romanchenko, was reportedly killed during an attack from Russian troops on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Friday, March 18.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.