The danger in Kherson now comes from the river

• Chiem Balduk

  Foreign publisher

There was plenty of it celebrated and celebrated on the streets of Kherson, when the city was liberated from the Russian yoke six weeks ago. Meanwhile, little is left of the party atmosphere: Kherson is constantly terrorized by Russian missiles and snipers firing on the city on the other side of the Dnieper.

Since the city’s liberation, dozens of civilians have been killed by Russian attacks. Kherson is sometimes without electricity for days, due to the destruction of crucial infrastructure. The poor conditions have given rise to a new flow of refugees: citizens seek refuge in other parts of Ukraine or in Europe.

“They are hitting us hard,” resident Serhi says via Telegram. “It strikes every night and often during the day. As I write this, the windows and doors in my house are shaking.” Because many residents have left, there are relatively few casualties, he estimates. Yesterday the authorities reported 60 attacks on the city, but with “only” six injured and one dead.

There are dozens of impacts every day, says the head of the Kherson region. This includes both artillery and heavy mortar fire. Cluster munitions were used at least three times in attacks on Kherson, he said Human Rights Watch fixed. According to local authorities, there are also “indications” that phosphorus munitions have been deployed, possibly war crime.

Gradually, the city is demolished. Neighborhoods near the river are particularly affected. “Now it’s too dangerous to approach the shore,” says Serhi. Most of the houses are deserted.

The area around the port and the shipyard is the most bombed. The Ostriv (“Island”) district is of great economic importance to the city. Today the city council decided that the entire neighborhood will be evacuated, because it is too dangerous and there are no more electricity, gas and water.

Of the approximately 300,000 inhabitants of the city, about 80,000 remained after the liberation, the rest fled or missing. The number of refugees has only increased since the liberation, due to the difficult living conditions. The head of the city council, Galina Lugovaya, calls on people in damaged apartments to leave. Beds and hot meals are ready in reception places, says Loegovaya.

There are also people who return, like Andriy Yachenko. “I was in Tallinn with my wife when the invasion started, while our 12-year-old son was left behind in Kherson.” After two months they managed to get their son out of the city and the family returned only shortly after the liberation.

Life in the city is certainly not easy, he says, but certainly there are signs of hope. “Russian terrorists launch missiles at us every day, but in the meantime, shops, banks and pharmacies are reopening one after the other”.

Serhi also does not plan to leave, even though a kindergarten 100 meters from his home was destroyed this weekend and the facade of an apartment further away was blown away. “I reassure myself that my house can take some direct hits.” He tries to stay in the room furthest from the river as much as possible. “That’s how a set of walls keeps me safe.”

Aside from his father, his entire family is gone. He wants to stay in his Cherson at all costs. “Who else should brief you on what’s going on here?” he jokes him.