Vladimir lives in occupied Kherson: my mother died because of the Russians

Vladimir is angry. “The Russians are killing us,” he says angrily. “Every day people die. And why? Why do they die?”

He lives in Kherson, southern Ukraine, which is slightly larger than Eindhoven. It is the first and so far the only city under Russian control. The 44-year-old Vladimir usually works in a local brewery near the center, but now his life is mainly devoted to helping colleagues and loved ones.

Like his mother who was hospitalized yesterday. “She had a heart attack. No doubt it was caused by the Russians, the bastards. I will never forgive them.” He fears for her life due to the lack of medicines and skilled healthcare staff. “You could die at any moment, thanks to the Russian army.”

Tanks in the streets

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

Judging by the video images, it appears that protests can occur relatively undisturbed. Russian soldiers regularly fire warning shots, but they don’t seem to have any higher numbers. According to the Ukrainian authorities, hundreds of protesters have been arrested throughout the Kherson region, but this cannot be verified.

Kherson is considered strategically valuable due to its location on the delta of the Dnieper River. North of the city is one of the few bridges over the Dnieper River. From the Crimea, the Russian army moves through Kherson to the front line in Mykolaiv and after that in Odessa.

The latest case in southern Ukraine: