Nika Selivanova, aged thirteen, formed a heart with both hands as she waved goodbye to her best friend Inna, who was pressed against the glass barrier separating the entry hall of Kherson’s train station from the waiting room.
Moments ago, they had embraced with tears in their eyes. Inna had kissed Asia, a tan dachshund wrapped in a cozy blanket that was being carried by Nika.
The girls did not sure when they would next see one another.
The family of Nika was leaving Kherson, uncertain of their ultimate destination. For the time being, they were traveling to the western city of Khmelnytskyi in hopes of receiving assistance there.
The last three days in Kherson had been too much for Elena, Nika’s mother.
“Previously, they [Russian forces] bombarded us seven to ten times every day; now, they do it 70 to 80 times per day. It is too terrifying.” Elena said. “I cherish Ukraine and my beloved city. But we must leave.”
Elena and her three girls are among the more than 400 individuals who have fled Kherson since Christmas Day when the Russian military intensified its shelling on the city.
A hospital maternity ward was shelled on Tuesday. No one was injured, but it has increased people’s dread.
The evacuation of Elena by train was aided by the Ukrainian authorities.
Hundreds of individuals are leaving independently, forming a line of panicked residents in cars at the checkpoint heading out of Kherson.
Iryna Antonenko was in tears as we approached her vehicle to speak with her.
We can no longer withstand this. The level of shelling is tremendous. We remained the entire time in the hope that it would pass and that we would be fortunate. However, a shell struck the house next to us, and my father’s home was also bombarded “She stated,
She intended to travel to the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, where she has relations.
Just one month ago, there were scenes of jubilation in Kherson. The city was taken by Russian forces on the second day of the invasion and liberated on November 11.
On Christmas Eve, a mortar bombardment near a gathering of Ukrainians waving flags to celebrate their liberation from Russian domination resulted in eleven deaths and hundreds of injuries.
Among the victims were a social worker, a butcher, and a woman selling mobile Sim cards — everyday folks who worked or visited the downtown market of the city.
According to the Ukrainian authorities, Kherson was attacked by 41 mortar rounds on that day.
The Russians are firing from the left (east) side of the Dnipro, where they have retreated; the river has become the de facto frontline in the south of Ukraine.
Kherson is a strategically significant region that is commonly known as the entrance to Crimea. According to numerous analysts, Russia is presently in a defensive stance.
It is unclear what it aims to achieve by destroying Kherson. In addition to mortar shells, we have witnessed the employment of incendiary munitions – sparks intended to ignite targets that have been raining down on the city.
It is also unknown whether the Ukrainian military is aiming to retake the left bank of the river.
There is hardly ever a lull in the sound of mortar shell attacks within the city.
56-year-old Serhii Breshun was murdered while he slept. His residence collapsed on him after a shell struck it.
The day following his death, we met his 82-year-old mother, Tamara, who had come to hunt for his passport among the ruins. She required the document to release his body from the mortuary.
“That day, I must have had a premonition that something would go wrong. Because I encouraged him over the phone to leave the residence. He did not, and that was the end of it. Our lives have been ruined, “She cried.
We had just concluded our conversation with her when we heard additional blasts.
The old mother’s solitary attempt to give her son a decent farewell is perilous, as no portion of Kherson is secure.
Whether on the street or in a house, surviving here is a matter of chance.
A few steps from safety, Red Cross volunteer Viktoria Yaryshko, 39, was murdered by a mortar shell explosion just outside the organization’s Kherson base.
Viktoria’s mother, Liudmyla Berezhna, showed us the medal of honor she was awarded.
“I am thrilled that she benefited so many individuals. She was gracious. But it also causes me agony. I must heal and care for her two children. I tell them that their mother is a hero and that they should be proud of her “She stated,
Viktoria and her two daughters, Alyonushka, 17, and Sasha, 12, had been living in a Red Cross shelter beneath the ground. They continue to reside there, surrounded by a group of volunteers who have become like family.
When a close loved one dies, it is difficult. However, if we give up and cease our efforts, her death will have been in vain. We work to ensure people’s survival. Everything else is unimportant “Dmitro Rakitskyi, a volunteer and friend of Viktoria, stated.
But it is difficult to do so when your family is in danger every minute.
When a few moments later, other bombs detonate, Dmitro’s expression is tense as he attempts to phone his wife. He has two offspring.
“They do not wish to depart. They are concerned about me, as am I about them. This is our way of life “he remarked.
“What enrages me the most is that they consistently target civilian infrastructure. Homes, apartment complexes, and boiler rooms It is incomprehensible to comprehend the reasoning behind these actions “Dmitro stated.
“We nearly never lack electricity or water. It occasionally appears momentarily before disappearing due to bombardment. It is quite terrifying at night. However, we still have gas and can stay warm “one resident, Larysa Revtova, stated.
Tens of thousands of residents still reside in Kherson, but the regional administration has asked them to leave at least twice this week.
It is a metropolis plagued by ceaseless and random attacks.
