“Streets of death and ghost villages”: activist says the situation in Kherson and the region is rapidly deteriorating

The situation in Kherson is rapidly worsening, and similar conditions are emerging on the right bank of the region, which remains under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

This was reported by Kherson native and activist Yuriy Antoshchuk.

According to him, the southern streets of the city — which were still accessible a year ago — have now become “streets of death.” Villages that were reachable a year and a half ago are now inaccessible or have turned into “ghost villages.”

Drones have begun terrorizing the highway that connects Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, and are constantly present near the main entrance sign to Kherson.

Just a few months ago, there were about 1,000 drone attacks weekly in the city. That number has now increased to more than 1,500 per week.

Anti-drone nets have only recently started being used in Kherson. As for electronic warfare systems (EW), Antoshchuk says they won’t save the city on a large scale: “Enemy multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) can easily blanket entire neighborhoods, and if needed, they won’t hesitate to drop several guided bombs (KABs) to eliminate threats or obstacles.”

Every six months, more areas of Kherson and surrounding settlements are being added to mandatory evacuation lists. Many stores are closing, and people are forced to go out for food under constant threat of shelling. Water and heating problems are mounting.

There is also growing concern that this autumn could see more casualties due to scattered “petal” landmines, which may become hidden under fallen leaves.

Volunteers are gradually leaving the area.

“The question of where to evacuate to and what to do next is a separate issue. Kherson residents have adapted to daily danger — but you can never truly get used to it. Only the Dnipro River and our Defense Forces are keeping us safe,” Antoshchuk writes. “A lot is being done, but when you observe the expanding ‘red zone’ and how fast it’s spreading — it’s hard to feel optimistic.”