War in Ukraine: civilians flee Kherson

In Ukraine, the Russians control the south-east of the country on Wednesday June 22. Therefore, for the thousands of civilians who want to leave, the road is long and dangerous. In an evacuation convoy, all the people come from Kherson, a city occupied by Moscow since March 2. “It was horrible. The Russians were firing shots in the street right next to my house every night”, says Diana, a resident of Kherson. Married to a Ukrainian soldier, she was in danger in this city.

The incessant shelling and shooting have marked these civilians who prefer to flee this place. “There are no more jobs in Kherson, people have no more money. The pharmacies are all closed, there is no more care, people are getting sick, there is no help happens. Everyone survives as best they can.”, testifies Ludmila, a resident. To board the bus, they paid nothing: the driver works with an organization that has already helped more than 7,000 civilians to leave Kherson. On arrival, passengers are taken care of by a reception center for refugees. Some have nowhere to go, others manage to find their families. According to the Ukrainian authorities, around 500,000 civilians are still in Kherson under Russian occupation.