Vladimir lives in occupied Kherson: “My mother dies because of the Russians”

Vladimir is furious. “We are being killed by the Russians,” he said angrily. “Every day people are dying. And why ? Why do they have to die?

He lives in the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, which is slightly larger than Eindhoven. It is the first and so far the only major city to be under Russian control. Vladimir, 44, normally works in a local breweryclose to the center, but now his life is mainly dominated by helping his colleagues and relatives.

Like his mother, who was hospitalized yesterday. “She had a heart attack. Without a doubt, it was caused by the Russians, the bastards. I will never forgive them.” He fears for his life, due to a shortage of medicines and qualified health personnel. “She could die at any moment, thanks to the Russian army.”

Tanks in the streets

The Russian army is everywhere in the city, says Vladimir, but it is unclear to what extent it controls the rebellious city. The most important buildings, such as the regional government office and the train station, would be in Russian hands. But at the same time, there are almost daily protests against the occupation in the city or in the surrounding villages. Last weekend thousands of people took to the streets; hundreds at most.

Judging by the video footage, the protests appear to be able to proceed relatively quietly. Russian soldiers regularly fire warning shots, but they do not appear to be outnumbered. According to the Ukrainian authorities, hundreds of demonstrators were arrested throughout the Kherson region, but this cannot be verified.

Kherson has strategic value due to its location on the Dnieper delta. North of the city is one of the few bridges over the Dnieper. From Crimea, the Russian army moves via Kherson to the front line at Mykolaiv and later to Odessa.

The most recent situation in southern Ukraine: