«Epicentre» reported how they spent the whole day under fire trying to save a shop in Mykolaiv
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- Alina KvitkoReporter
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Epicentre has recounted how staff spent almost a day trying to save the shopping centre in Mykolaiv. Photo: EpicentreStaff at the Mykolaiv «Epicentre» spent nearly a day trying to save the shopping centre following the Russian attack. Whilst the building continued to be struck by drones, ten staff members returned several times to the burning shop and put out the fires themselves.
A detailed account of what happened inside the shopping centre during the attack was published on the «Epicentre» page.
According to the company, the building was hit six times in a single day, and ten of its staff members joined the fire-fighting efforts. When the attack began, staff first took all employees and visitors to safety in shelters. Once the immediate danger had passed, ten staff members returned to the shopping centre to tackle the fires.
The Russians struck the Epicentre in Mykolaiv on 4 September. Photo: State Emergency ServiceAfter the first strike, the central part of ‘Epicentre’ caught fire. Deputy Director Vadym Larionov climbed onto the roof and began extinguishing the flames. At the same time, security staff led by Serhii Adabir were working inside the shopping centre. They managed to put out the fire.
«We fought for our shopping centre in Mykolaiv for almost a day. Ten of our lads, company employees, put out four fires in a row with their own hands. They climbed onto the roof. They went inside the burning building. They sealed off the damaged pipes. They rescued equipment. They took cover from the «Shahed» drones — and then returned to the fire.
When the attack began, they took all the staff and visitors to safety. They waited until the danger had passed — and then went to save the building they consider their second home.
They almost saved the shopping centre. Almost. But the Russians were determined to destroy it. Six hits. In the space of a single day. All on one shopping centre. Because the enemy doesn’t even realise that Epicentres are just ordinary shopping centres. Places to shop. They see us as logistics complexes,» was how staff at «Epicentre» described that day.
The Russians struck the Epicentre in Mykolaiv on 4 September. Photo: NikVesti archiveHowever, at around 6.00 pm, the shopping centre was struck again — this time with two strikes in quick succession.
«And once again, our people are rushing into the fire, without even waiting for the State Emergency Service. Vladyslav Shapovalov, head of the tenth department, is putting out the fire on the outdoor area and everything burning outside. Vadym Larionov is tackling the façade. They are joined by rescue workers. They are putting out the fire again,» the company noted.
The next strike occurred near the Furniture Centre. The fire-suppression system was activated there. At around 8.00 pm, following four strikes, the main pockets of fire had been extinguished, and only smouldering remained inside.
«We almost saved the shopping centre. Almost,» the company remarked.
But then another strike occurred. A drone struck the Furniture Centre’s warehouse.
«At around eight o’clock in the evening, after four strikes, the shopping centre was practically saved. Only smouldering remained. And then another «Shahed» flew — it fell. But the next one hit its target. It struck the Furniture Centre’s warehouse,» the company reported.
At that moment, two more drones were still hovering over the city. Due to the threat of another strike, staff and rescue workers were forced to take shelter. They were only able to return to the fire after about half an hour.
This was enough time for the fire to spread to a significant part of the shopping centre.
The Russians struck the Epicentre in Mykolaiv on 4 September. Photo: State Emergency ServiceAccording to «Epicentre», around 42,000 square metres were engulfed in flames. Due to strong winds, the flames quickly spread deep into the building. By the time staff and rescue workers were able to reach the source of the fire again, the blaze had become so intense that the structure began to collapse.
The shopping centre’s director, Oleksandr Dmytryshyn, believes that without the final hit, the building could still have been saved.
«If it hadn’t been for that final strike, we would have saved the shopping centre. We really did try our very best,» said Oleksandr Dmytryshyn.
The Russians struck the Epicentre in Mykolaiv on 4 September. Photo: State Emergency ServiceThere were 520 people working at the «Epicentre» in Mykolaiv. Some of them had already lost their jobs due to the destruction of the company’s shopping centres in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa. Now they have been left without jobs once again.
One of the employees who arrived at the destroyed ‘Epicentre’ the following morning was Yuliia Maliuta. She had been working there for a year and a half. The night before, she had stayed at work until midnight. She has three children. Her youngest child is only five years old.
«I honestly don’t know what to do now. I’ve lost my job. I have three children. One of them is still very young — she’s only five. I look at all this and I just cry,» she said.
According to her, the team had long since become much more to her than just colleagues.
«It was our life. For us, it was like a second family. We all supported one another; we were like one big family. And now so many people have lost their jobs,» says Yuliia Maliuta.
The Russians struck the Epicentre in Mykolaiv on 4 September. Photo: State Emergency ServiceEpicentre emphasises that the Russian attack destroyed more than just retail space. Along with the building, people have lost the place where they worked for years, their colleagues and their normal lives.
«For Mykolaiv, which lies close to the front line, this «Epicentre» was much more than just a shop. Families used to come here. They would walk around with their children, buy essentials, drink coffee and charge their phones. People even travelled here from Kherson. It was one of the few places where, in the midst of the war, people could still experience a sense of normal life. Today, all that remains is a pile of rubble,» emphasised representatives of the construction company.
But it is the staff, who spent almost a full day battling the flames, whom «Epicentre» calls the real heroes of this story.
— And standing right here are our people. Those who fought for their «Epicentre» for almost a full day. Vadym Larionov. Serhii Adabir. Vladyslav Shapovalov. And their colleagues who were by their side. We want you to know their names. Because today, looking at what remains of our shopping centre, we realise all the more keenly that «Epicentre» is not just walls. ‘Epicentre’ is the people,” reads the story published by the company.
On 4 September, the Russians attacked the Mykolaiv region several times
In Mykolaiv, Russian drones attacked «Epicentre». Following repeated strikes, fires broke out in the shopping centre and the building sustained significant damage. A 72-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl were injured.
The Russians also struck the Kutsurub community. In Dmytrivka, the roof of a private house was damaged and a 57-year-old man was injured.
The Mykolaiv Zoo is located next to «Epicentre». According to its director, Volodymyr Topchyi, the animals were unharmed — they were indoors at the time of the attack.
