The Ukrainian city of Kherson has been occupied by Russian troops since the beginning of the war.
In an open letter, Mayor Igor Kolichayev paints a bleak picture of the situation.
– Many have to queue to get Russian humanitarian aid.
The resurgence of Kherson is taking place at great speed. Distribution of Russian passports is underway, and a referendum on accession to Russia is planned. Protesters have been tortured in several cases, states the BBC.
On Friday, Igor Kolichayev, the Ukrainian mayor who has been ousted by the Russians, wrote an open letter about the situation in the city. on the Ukrainian news site Politika Strany:
“Explosions are heard every day. Sometimes windows and doors in the houses in the center shake. For over a week, there has been no Ukrainian mobile network in Kherson, only the Crimean internet, which blocks Ukrainian sites, Facebook and social media.
The opportunity to receive Ukrainian news via the Internet has ceased for most people. A small percentage can read Ukrainian sites via VPN.
Many military vehicles marked with the letter Z roll on the streets, so it would be wrong to say that we feel safe in Kherson.
“Must have constant control”
There are many Russian products to buy, but people complain about their low quality. Many have to queue for Russian humanitarian aid, because we no longer have access to Ukrainian aid.
We must constantly keep track of the contents of our mobile phones, because if the Russians in any roadblock discover “offensive” Ukrainian content, it will be very unpleasant.
We have not had safe green corridors for exit or entry since the first day of the war.
All the cafes and parks, which we had full of before in our city, are closed. Thousands of people have lost their jobs and incomes.
But we have not lost one thing – the belief that everything will be as before and that life in the city will be normal again. “
The hope is that the Ukrainian army will recapture the city. Ukrainian advances in the northwestern Kherson region are now being responded to by Russian troops mining the area. states Institute for the Study of War.