KHARKIV, Ukraine, April 27 (Reuters) – When Fuminori Tsuchiko arrived within the jap Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkiv final 12 months, he mentioned he wished to do something he might to assist individuals following Russia’s invasion.
Moved by the plight of residents pressured by Russian shelling to shelter in subway stations, the 75-year-old Japanese nationwide from Tokyo determined to remain.
For months, he mentioned, he lived in a metro station and labored as a volunteer distributing meals within the subway.
He and a Ukrainian he met within the station have now opened a free cafe in Kharkiv’s Saltivka neighbourhood – primarily due to what he mentioned had been donations made by Japanese individuals by way of social media.
“June, July, August, September, October, November, December – (for) seven months I stayed within the metro, underground, sleeping or consuming, and collectively (with) many, many Ukrainian individuals,” Tsuchiko mentioned.
[1/5] Fuminori Tsuchiko, 75-year-old humanitarian volunteer from Japan, passes free meals to individuals at his cafe, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine April 24, 2023. REUTERS/Viktoriia Yakymenko
‘FuMi Caffe’ serves about 500 individuals a day, he mentioned.
Tsuchiko mentioned he had been visiting Ukraine as a vacationer in February 2022, when the Japanese embassy urged him to go away as Russia ready to invade. He went to the Polish capital Warsaw however mentioned he returned two months later.
One customer to the cafe, Anna Tovstopyatova, mentioned she had come to make a donation.
“It is nice that there are so honest individuals with an open coronary heart and soul, who sacrifice their life and time to assist and provides hope,” Tovstopyatova mentioned.
Kharkiv held off Russian forces and Ukrainian forces then pushed Russian troops again in the direction of the border. Regardless of the retreat, Russian assaults on town have continued.
Reporting by Vitalii Hnidyi, Modifying by Timothy Heritage and Andrew Heavens
: .
