Kherson underground: how the city survives under constant drone strikes

Today, Kherson is a ghost town, where life pulsates underground and drones circle the rooftops. The locals have learned to survive amidst the explosions and empty streets, clinging to the memory of the day when the Ukrainian flag reappeared.

The Associated Press reported on how the city has been living three years after the liberation.

The once-crowded streets are empty, and life has moved underground, into basements that have become schools, gyms, and shelters. On November 11, 2022, residents of Kherson took to the square with Ukrainian flags, hugged the military, and believed that the worst was over.

But the war did not disappear - it just changed its form. Russian artillery is firing across the Dnipro, and drones are hovering over rooftops with broken windows around the clock. Those who stayed say that even under fire, life without the occupiers is easier.

During Angelina Jolie 's recent visit, residents smiled for the first time in a long time. The actress' photos, taken in basements and under nets protecting people from drones, have become a symbol of support for a city that is tired of surviving.

Once upon a time, almost 280 thousand people lived here. Now Kherson is the front line, where every day begins with the sound of explosions and billboards still stand over the destroyed streets:"City of strength, freedom and resilience."

Olha Komanytska, 55, sells flowers among the ruins. Her kiosk is the only thing left after the destroyed greenhouses. Her husband did not survive the war - he died of heart disease, and she is convinced that this is also a consequence of it. She lives between her husband's grave and the store, hiding from the drones under the trees.

"I know the sound of every weapon, but drones are the worst," she says.

Among the rubble, utility workers are working to stretch plastic nets to protect people from attacks. The nets hide post offices, hospitals, and bus stops.

Electronic warfare units are working over the city. Max, a 28-year-old marine who manages the electronic "shield" over Kherson, says that up to 250 enemy FPV drones can arrive in a day, but they intercept more than 90%.

"They want to wipe us out as a people, not just soldiers, but everyone," he says.

"Underground, the children are trying to live a normal life - playing chess, training in boxing, laughing. In basements turned into clubs and gyms, they learn not to be afraid.

When you sit in a basement under fire, your heart jumps out of your chest. But we don't give up," says 16-year-old Artem, who dreams of becoming a dentist.

Kherson is a city that is learning to live underground, but does not forget to look up to the sky.

To mark the third anniversary of Kherson's liberation, Ukrainian TV channels and online platforms will broadcast the documentary Kherson:Human Safari. The film depicts the real events and daily life of Kherson residents during the occupation and after the liberation of the right-bank part of the city.

On the eve of the second anniversary of Kherson's liberation, Intent 's photojournalist Natalia Dovbysh went to the city to capture its everyday life in photographs.

Анна Літман