Kherson, latest news about the situation in the city for today, November 8, 2022, reporting by Alexander Kots

ISLAND OF ANIMALS

The restless she-wolf ran around the enclosure, eyeing the unexpected visitors suspiciously. Oleg Zubkov, the founder of the legendary Taigan Park, came to a small zoo in Kherson directly from the Crimea with his employees to take the animals with him for a while. Llama Roma, donkey Dasha, two wolves, raccoons, peacocks – they are all located on an island in the middle of Kherson. And in case of undermining of the Kakhovka dam, this island will inevitably be washed away by water currents.

“Now we will inject the she-wolf with sleeping pills, we will move her to the cage, then we will introduce an antidote and the animal will wake up,” Zubkov commented on his actions. – This one is cheerful, rushing around the aviary. The second one worries me. She has an unusually bloated belly. When we get to the place – immediately under veterinary control. The rest of the animals are not a health concern, but we will definitely check them all.

Taigan staff load sleeping predators into cages. They bring a llama to the van.

– This is a war veteran – local workers laugh. – When Russian troops capture Kherson, the local territorial defense decides to resist in the shopping center. Imagine fire, smoke, gunfire, and in the middle of all the fiery inferno, this handsome man calmly floats up – from the animal side. He was rescued and brought to us.

THE SITUATION IN KHERSON

The management of the local zoo does not seem to be happy with the relocation of its wards. The threat of a large-scale catastrophe seems mythical to them. As, however, and many residents of Kherson who still remain in the city.

Meanwhile, transport, utilities and emergency services continue to operate in the city. After the recent undermining of the power line, they added work. Some areas of Kherson have been without electricity for several days, interruptions in cellular communication, mobile Internet is not available for a day …

At the same time, the evacuation of the city is practically complete. On Monday, the last ship left the river port for the east coast. Not to mention that it was packed to the brim. “From 08.11.2022, the connection with motor ships from Kherson to the left bank is TERMINATED!!!” – reads the inscription on the schedule.

UKRAINE DID NOT HELP THE CHILDREN, BUT RUSSIA DID EVERYTHING

In a small group of refugees, I notice another Crimean celebrity – the volunteer Valeria Petrusevich. She took up charity work as a student – as a hobby. She then worked in real estate for 12 years, providing for herself and her three children with passive income, and turned her full attention to helping people. For eight years, she managed one of the largest charitable foundations in Crimea.

– We have a variety of activities. This includes donating and working with children deprived of parental care. Career guidance and socialization of such children. Volunteers always have something to do. I dream of being without a serious job, but for now there is no such possibility.

Although I learned about Valeria not from grateful children, but from military correspondent friends who told me about a fragile woman who personally carries everything necessary for the front directly to the front line. Recently, she came to the aid of the military. And for civilians, it has been bringing humanitarian aid since mid-March.

– Then, for the first time, I left Crimea by myself in a truck. At that time men hardly left. But it’s easier for a girl. At first she went to the Kherson region, in April – to the Zaporizhia region. At the beginning of May, we evacuated people from Mariupol, from the vicinity of Azovstal…

– Do you remember events?

– It sank into the soul when we took two girls out in March. Their mother was stuck in Kyiv, their father was far away in Russia, and the girls were almost in the border zone where the fighting was going on. It was complicated. When the children crossed the border, we cried.

There is a girl Arina with a complex heart defect. They couldn’t help her in Ukraine. She didn’t stand a chance. The doctors there said it was inoperable. I sent her documents all over Russia. We found two cities where we were ready for the operation. We took her from Melitopol, overcame all the gossip, they say that Russian volunteers take children for organs to sell their livers and kidneys. We won it all.

The girl came to Crimea, from there to Moscow. And I got the help I needed! Now there is no danger to her life. We had 14 such children, all of them had critical situations in which we were involved. We evacuated them from Ukraine, helped with the preparation of documents.

WHEN ONE APC LEFT

– How did you come to the aid of the military?

– During the special operation, I was in contact with the military in one way or another. For me it is Lesha from Rostov, Arseny from Chuvashia. We’ve already spoken in private.

I could see that the situation was becoming more and more difficult. The same cars, of which there were many at the beginning, failed. After the guys from the 126th Crimean Brigade recorded a video message for me that they had one armored personnel carrier for 84 people. And these are not only maneuvers, this is also the transport of the wounded. They are in the foreground. We answered. And then they got involved in helping the army.

I remember that video message. Not only volunteers from Crimea responded to it, but also PMC Wagner, which donated several pickup trucks to its combat comrades.

– What is this help for you personally?

– I am a Crimean woman in the seventh generation. I understand where I am. We moved from Ukraine. And the start of the special operation was emotionally difficult for us. Despite understanding all that is brewing, this is a country we have been in for a long time. That is why we participate in the protection of our land. I have three children, they are in Crimea.

– Did you end up collecting them for cars?

– In two weeks, we managed to buy 15 cars. This does not count dozens of drones, multimillion-dollar investments in equipment that save the lives of our boys. We will support them. Here the back and front are already united. Crimea acts to protect itself. We have no way back.

This is truly a people’s war. And many will understand this now that the mobilized have gone there, who will see with their own eyes what is happening here.

MALE TEARS

– How do guys react when you come to the front line?

– This is perhaps the most vivid impression. Their eyes… It’s hard to describe. These hugs, homemade treats that our Crimean girls cook, are passed on. These letters, children’s drawings that I carry and read right on the front line. I see these stingy men’s tears in people who have been eight months at the front, without rotation. Of course they appreciate it. And I can give them warmth and tell them how we are waiting for them, we believe in them.

– Is it scary?

– Of course. Every “arrival” is scary. But when I first saw in the Kherson region how NIMARS arrived (an American salvo launch missile system transferred from the USA to Ukraine. – Ed.), it was two or three hundred meters, I understood that the missile does not choose – you are a supporter of a special operation , her opponent or pacifist. All die, all suffer equally. Our task is to protect our territory from this.

AND WE AGAIN “CHIMARIL”

At that moment, a pickup truck with the letter W on the doors – the same gift from the Wagners – was brought to the pier. Servicemen from the 126th brigade brought out a family with a child from Dudchan – five people. But they did not reach the last boat.

“We have to help somehow,” says Valeria.

Together we rush to the Antonovsky Bridge, where the ferry service operates. There we put grandma, grandpa and the child in my car, mom and dad in a colleague’s crossover. We need to get to the pier where the refugees from the last ship will be taken ashore. Pontoneri see into the situation and let us out of the queue.

– Well, what do you have there? I’m asking grandpa.

– Yes, they beat day and night. My son’s hut was broken, he and the child lived with us. No light, no water, no food… Nothing works. And they couldn’t get out. Thanks guys, got it out.

Employees of the Ministry of Emergencies on the other side are trying to detain the convoy. And they succeed. We catch buses to Aleshki and hand over the family to social workers and rescuers.

– Are you going to visit relatives?

“To nowhere, to the unknown,” sighs Grandma.

There is nothing more we can do for this family, we are returning by ferry to the right bank. Somewhere not far away, an anti-aircraft missile rises into the sky.

– And again we were “fooled” while you were gone, – reported the pontoons, when we noticed that the pontoon ferry was making strange moves on the Dnieper. – Now the missile threat mode. We are waiting for the water.

– Are you turning around yet? – we ask carefully.

– There was no team – they answer succinctly in a military manner.