1 week Ago By Shivam Verma
In the frontline city of Ukraine’s Kherson, people are desperate for peace, but they fear that any deal with Russia will not end the suffering. After experiencing occupation and ongoing attacks, many residents believe the only way to secure lasting peace is to push Russian forces further back. According to Reuters, Serhiy, a 64-year-old security guard, is recovering in the hospital after losing his foot in a drone attack.
He was on his way to work when a Russian drone dropped a grenade on him. "There won't be peace if they are on that bank of the river," he said, referring to the Russian troops stationed just across the Dnipro River. He, like many others, fears speaking out publicly in case of Russian retaliation.
Despite efforts by US and Russian negotiators to reach a temporary ceasefire, including a proposed 30-day halt to attacks on energy infrastructure, Kherson remains under relentless fire. Once home to nearly 300,000 people, the city's population has shrunk to just 60,000. Those who remain face daily drone and artillery strikes.
With much of the war fought in smaller towns and villages, Kherson is the largest city within range of Russian weapons, making it Ukraine’s most dangerous urban area. According to the report, in the same hospital as Serhiy, another wounded man, 30-year-old Ihor, is also recovering from a drone attack. He was hit while searching for phone signal because Russian strikes had damaged cell towers.
He hopes the ceasefire will work, saying, "I don't want other people to be brought to the hospital like this." Like many Ukrainians, he believes US President Donald Trump will help end the war this year, as he promised. According to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin, Russian drones attack Kherson between 600 and 700 times every week.
He says Russian operators watch civilians through onboard cameras before targeting them. Russia, however, denies deliberately attacking civilians. Even routine tasks in Kherson have become life-threatening.
Bus driver Maksym Dyak, 38, wears a flak jacket and helmet while driving, as his vehicle has been hit by drone grenades ten times. A window blown out in an attack is now patched up with plywood, yet he continues to drive, even with children on board. According to Reuters, the hospital where Serhiy and Ihor are being treated has been hit 21 times since November 2022.
Chief doctor Viktor Korolenko says medical staff are under immense pressure. At a local market, despite the danger, elderly residents still shop for food. Tetiana Kudas, 61, says she refuses to leave Kherson, even though the city has become more dangerous.
"They’re bombing us even more now," she said, holding back tears..
