ODESA, Ukraine — The Ukrainian city of Kherson is rapidly coming back to life after more than 8 1/2 months under Russian occupation.
Despite still being without water or electricity, residents are returning to the streets for joyous celebrations. Work crews are hastily setting up cellphone, Wi-Fi and electrical connections. Demining teams are attempting to clear areas around critical infrastructure including the main roads, rail lines and power plants.
Liberty Square in the center of Kherson has turned into a makeshift carnival and humanitarian aid distribution hub. People draped in Ukrainian flags sing patriotic songs. Ukrainian soldiers are feted as heroes: Residents hug them, young boys beg for autographs and military patches. Kids race around a monument wrapped in new yellow-and-blue bunting.
"On the first day, when everyone knew [the Russian occupation] was over, everyone kissed and hugged," says Mariya Kryvoruchko. "We are so happy!"
But despite the current joy, residents describe a terrifying occupation in which speaking Ukrainian could get you detained and people disappeared without a trace.
"Honestly I was afraid," Kryvoruchko says. "At different moments I believed we would be liberated. Other times I didn't believe."
Every night she heard screams from prisoners being held at the local police station less than a block from her house, she says.
"Deep in my soul, I'm still afraid. I don't believe Putin and I'm afraid of him."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members —
listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.
We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a
community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.
Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are
building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.
For months, Donald Trump and his campaign have been promising mass deportations. In a city that has received some 200,000 new migrants in the last two years, that promise has resonated among some.
Bomb threats that U.S. officials linked to Russian email domains disrupted what was generally a smooth voting experience across America on Election Day.
Trump’s goal is to unwind Biden’s policies and resume where he left off after his first term. He has promised to close the border and launch the largest domestic deportation operation in U.S. history.