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Interpreter Breaks Down as 11-Year-Old Survivor Addresses European Parliament in Brussels

His account of the 2022 Vinnytsia missile strike that killed his mother was shared during a screening focused on Ukrainian child victims.

Overview

  • At a December 10 event at the European Parliament, an interpreter became too emotional to continue translating 11-year-old Roman Oleksiv’s testimony, and a colleague finished the translation.
  • Roman described surviving the July 14, 2022 strike on central Vinnytsia that killed his mother and left him with severe burns and other injuries.
  • He underwent at least 36 surgeries and lengthy rehabilitation after being treated in Lviv and then transferred to hospitals in Poland and Germany.
  • The Brussels event included a screening of Romchyk, a short film about Roman’s experience, alongside other films examining the war’s impact on children.
  • Doctors once doubted he would walk unaided, but Roman has returned to school and resumed ballroom dancing and music studies.