Citizens of liberated city cling to hope amid shelling
KHERSON, Ukraine — One year since Ukraine retook the city of Kherson from occupying Russian forces, residents have grown accustomed to hearing fire from across the Dnieper river, where Russian troops are positioned. They know the familiar crackle means they have seven seconds to find shelter.
Their lives are mostly limited to the comfort of home and the necessity of the supermarket. Municipal workers wear bullet-proof vests and wait to be dispatched to sweep up the rubble from yet another attack.
Marking the anniversary of Russia’s defeat on Nov. 11 is a bittersweet occasion as Ukraine’s counteroffensive grinds on without producing the gains many had hoped for. But those who stay are steadfast in their belief that normal life will return.
“When you have lived under occupation, you know what freedom means,” said Grigori Malov, who owns one of three restaurants still open. “It’s why we have a special attitude toward the continued shelling. We can withstand it because we know how it could be worse.”
The flight of Russian troops from Kherson a year ago was one of Ukraine’s biggest successes in the war and was seen as an inflection point. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy triumphantly walked the streets of the newly liberated city then, hailing Russia’s withdrawal as the “beginning of the end of the war.” Many hoped it would serve as a springboard for more advances into occupied territory.
Today, both sides are locked in a stalemated battle of attrition.
On Saturday, the atmosphere was muted, and few residents came out to mark the occasion.
The sounds of artillery fire resound continuously, and residents have to organize their days in anticipation of them. They are most frequent in the morning and late afternoon, residents said. Air
raid alarms echo at all hours of the day.
Even as the city marked the anniversary of its liberation, one man was killed and three women were injured by Russian artillery.
Between 40-80 shells land
in Kherson on a daily basis, said Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, a spokesperson for the Kherson Regional State Administration.
“Every day people must (be wary of) shelling,” he said. Tolokonnikov was
in the city Nov. 12 and recalled the joy of crowds welcoming Ukrainian forces back.
A few days later, the shelling started, and it hasn’t stopped since, he said.