June 1, 2025, 5:02 p.m.
(PHOTO: UNIAN)
The terrorist country of Russia has turned Kherson into a city underground due to daily attacks by Russian drones that deliberately target civilians. Despite the losses, fear, and lack of resources, the townspeople are staying to prevent the enemy from taking over the city.
The head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration , Oleksandr Prokudin, told The Hill.
According to him, Kherson, which was liberated from Russian occupation in November 2022, is now living under the constant threat of new attacks. Russian troops, who remain on the left bank of the Dnipro River, just a few kilometers away, regularly shell the city with artillery, missiles and drones. To save civilians, Kherson authorities are moving people underground.
According to the official, there are already nine underground hospitals in Kherson, with plans for 12 more. Administrative offices, schools and other key facilities are also being set up several floors below the surface. Shelters are being installed on sidewalks and bus stops in the city, in places where drones are on a real "safari" for people.
They kill children, the elderly, film it and post it on their Telegram channels. It's entertainment for them," Prokudin said.
According to him, the Russians are mocking the fact that Ukrainians cannot effectively counteract drones.
Over the past week alone, up to 3,000 drone attacks have been recorded in the region. Some of them were stopped, using electronic warfare, small arms, or even nets. But the threat is growing - Russia is constantly improving its technology, changing frequencies to circumvent protection.
The UN Commission has already labeled the drone strikes on civilians in Kherson and 16 other locations as war crimes and crimes against humanity. In total, nearly 150 civilians have been killed and hundreds injured as a result of these attacks.
The targets are public transportation stops, train stations, and streets. The drones do not just drop explosives - some of them carry out "kamikaze" missions, crashing into the victim. The official emphasized that what is happening every day is a targeted terror of the civilian population.
Before the full-scale war, Kherson was home to more than 500,000 people. Today, only about 150,000 remain. But, as the head of the JFO noted, despite the shelling, there is still life in the city. And as long as there are people here, Kherson will stand.
A trailer for the documentary Kherson:Human Safari, a documentary about the Russian terror, was recently released. The 80-minute film was made by American filmmaker and journalist Zarina Zabriskie. It covers the period from the beginning of the invasion in 2022 to today's massive drone attacks.
To mark the second anniversary of the city's liberation, Intent 's photojournalist Natalia Dovbysh traveled to Kherson to document its present. The residential areas of the de-occupied city are clean, shops and markets are open, and yellow and blue symbols are everywhere. At the same time, the city center is crowded and full of traces of aggression: damaged buildings, broken windows, bomb shelters, and new hits.
Анна Бальчінос