Despite daily attacks by Russian drones and artillery, Kherson carries on. Stores, the market, coffee shops, public utilities, and volunteers are all still operating. The residents themselves say, “It hits—and we keep going.”
Residents of Kherson shared their experiences of life in a frontline city in the latest episode of the Ukraїner project.
Utility workers repair roofs under shelling
One of the story’s protagonists is only 18 years old. He works on a crew that restores damaged buildings after Russian strikes.
According to him, while working, they often have to literally jump off roofs as drones approach.
Workers wait for permission to begin repairs when the situation becomes a little safer, but even then, attacks can begin at any moment.
<span class="ratio ratio-16x9"></span>
Volunteers are evacuating people from the “red zone”
Andriy Petukhov, a volunteer from Kherson, goes out almost every day to evacuate people from the city’s most dangerous areas.
He says he is most concerned about the children who are still trapped in the zone of constant shelling.
According to him, due to the high activity of Russian FPV drones in the city, cars are regularly damaged and people are injured.
Drones are targeting civilians
Kherson residents say that Russian drones are attacking cars, minibuses, cyclists, and even pedestrians.
One man recounted that a drone pursued his car and struck it. Other witnesses say that attacks on civilians have become an almost daily reality.
Despite this, people continue to go to work, open their shops, and help one another.
Most of those interviewed admit that they are staying in the city because of their homes, their families, or the inability to leave.
People dream only of an end to the war and a return to a safe life. At the same time, they emphasize: Kherson withstood the occupation, and it will stand strong now as well.
“Kherson is alive, surviving, and rejoicing in every peaceful day,” say the city’s residents.
Ukraïner is a socio-cultural multimedia project focused on Ukrainian studies, whose content is based on the findings of its own expeditions. “Ukraïner” was founded by journalist and writer Bohdan Logvinenko as a volunteer media project
Андрій Колісніченко