“People walk as if they’re on parade. They’re strangely calm; everyone walks around smiling. I can’t understand it,” Yuriy*, 50, tells me on the phone from his home in Kherson. He lives alone in the city – his wife works abroad – and he’s keen to speak to me because, like many of the city’s residents, he’s keen to draw attention to the situation there.
When Russian troops occupied the southern Ukrainian city almost two months ago, life appeared to carry on with some sort of normality for residents – at least in terms of governance. The mayor’s office continued to operate, the Ukrainian flag still flew above the city’s central administration building, and, initially, there seemed to be a ‘tolerant’ attitude towards protests in support of Ukraine. And although there was no official evacuation corridor, people were able to leave the occupied city.
The situation in Kherson has gradually changed, however, as Russia’s occupation of south-eastern Ukraine has continued. Protest rallies have been dispersed with more force, and on 25 April, the Ukrainian flag was removed from the city authorities’ building. Russian forces have apparently appointed their own mayor, though Kherson’s mayor, Ihor Kolykhaev, has not evacuated and continues his work in the city.
