Themes by tag: Kherson
Is humanitarian mine action possible in winter? How do snow and freezing temperatures affect the painstaking work of removing deadly explosives? These are the questions many are asking as winter sets in.
Deminers face extreme challenges in cold weather, but the work doesn’t stop when the first snow falls. Can mines be detected beneath a blanket of snow? How do teams stay warm during long hours in the field? And is it true that some even heat the frozen ground to continue clearing land?
Journalists now have the chance to witness these operations firsthand. Media visits can be arranged to key regions where HALO Ukraine is actively working, including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson.
For context: HALO Ukraine is part of The HALO Trust, the world’s largest non-governmental organization dedicated to humanitarian demining. Since russia’s full-scale invasion, they’ve cleared over 6 million square meters of land, ensuring safer ground for thousands of Ukrainians.
Oksana Pohomii, a dedicated volunteer and member of the Kherson City Council, remained steadfast in her commitment to her community during the relentless occupation by russian forces. Throughout this challenging period, she awaited the city’s liberation while providing crucial support to those in need, even managing to share videos documenting life under occupation. Oksana was present in Kherson during the catastrophic explosion of the Kakhovka HPP in June 2023.
As the head of the Kherson Solidarna Sprava Hromad NGO (Solidarity Cause of the Communities in Kherson), Oksana recently oversaw the establishment of the Kherson Ukrainian Cultural Center, named after Oleksandr Menshov, a renowned Ukrainian writer from Kherson who lost his life at the front last year. This center serves as a refuge and hosts various cultural events, welcoming participation from all members of the community.
Following the city’s liberation, Oksana’s organization launched a volunteer bakery, providing freshly baked bread for both local residents and military personnel. On the second anniversary of Kherson’s liberation, November 11, the bakery is set to celebrate a significant milestone: the production of its three hundred thousandth loaf of bread.
Journalists interested in learning more about Oksana’s inspiring efforts can engage with her in Kherson or connect online.
For context: Kherson fell under russian occupation on March 1, 2022, at the onset of the full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully liberated the city on November 11, 2022, but the threat remains, with regular shelling continuing to affect the area.
Oleksandra Knyha and her brother Andrii come from the town of Oleshky in the Kherson oblast (currently occupied). When russian tanks entered Oleshky and Kherson at the beginning of the invasion, the siblings stayed in the region to help the people. Friends of Oleksandra from abroad organized several truckloads of humanitarian aid, which Andrii and Oleksandra sorted and handed out. But when civic-minded volunteers began to be kidnapped by russians, the siblings had to move to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
After Kherson was liberated on November 11, 2022, they immediately returned to the city to help rebuild life there. They decided to organize creative workshops for children in shelters, understanding that damaged and looted schools and kindergartens would not reopen soon. This became the inspiration for the creation of the KRYLA Charitable Foundation.
Recently, with the support of partners and donors, they launched several major projects at the KRYLA Multi-Space — a shelter where, despite the unsafe situation in the city, Kherson residents can gather to socialize or learn new skills.
Another focus of their work is a humanitarian mission in Oleshky, located on the occupied left bank of the Kherson oblast. The settlement was severely damaged when the russians blew up the Kakhovka Dam.
Journalists can learn more and contact Oleksandra and Andrii in person or online.
Nadiia Zharkykh, a coffee art instructor, had long dreamed of opening her own barista school. In 2021, she relocated with her family from Mykolaiv to Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine. But just two months after settling in, her plans were shattered by russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Her barista school, tentatively set to open on February 26, 2022, never saw its grand debut as the war swept across the region.
Caught under occupation, Nadiia sought refuge by working at a friend’s coffee shop, where she also volunteered, cooking and helping however she could. But as threats from russian forces mounted, she knew she had to leave. The escape was grueling—she passed through 70 checkpoints to reach Zaporizhia, and from there, made her way to Kyiv.
On August 7, 2023, exactly a year after leaving occupied Kherson, Nadiia’s resilience paid off when she opened a coffee shop near Kyiv with the support of a government grant. The shop is more than just a business—it’s a place of learning. Nadiia and her team now teach young women the art of coffee-making, and some of her students have gone on to open their own cafes, both in Ukraine and abroad.
During the summer blackouts, the café also served as a co-working space, offering a sense of community during challenging times. In addition, Nadiia and her close friends established a charity foundation in Mykolaiv called “Welcome to Ukraine,” which supports both military personnel and civilians across the country.
For those interested, interviews with Nadiia can be arranged by appointment in the Kyiv region.
Background: Kherson fell to russian forces on March 1, 2022, in the early days of the invasion. Ukrainian troops liberated the city on November 11, 2022, but russian shelling continues to threaten the area.
Before the full-scale invasion, Nataliia Havrylenko was a businesswoman in Kherson. She prepared for the impending war and, together with her husband, planned to join the Territorial Defense Forces. On February 24, 2022, the couple went to the military recruitment office. Soon the Kherson Territorial Defense unit, which Nataliia had joined, received weapons. But they served for only two days.
Nataliia recalls how the commander entered the room where the newly formed Territorial Defense members were gathered and ordered them to lay down their weapons and flee home across the fields. At that moment Nataliia, her husband and the other civilians realized that they would have to defend their hometown on their own. This is how the partisan movement in Kherson was born. Nataliia and her comrades managed to set up a hospital and establish cooperation with the special forces.
On July 7, 2022, Russians broke into Nataliia’s home, where she was staying with her daughter-in-law, son, and grandson. Nataliia was taken to a temporary detention center for several months. The woman says she was not tortured, but was subjected to a lie detector test and forced to give an interview to Russian propagandists. On November 1, 2022, Nataliia was released – without papers, money or a phone. Today, she continues to volunteer and support the Ukrainian army.
Nataliia Havrylenko is currently in Izium, Kharkiv oblast. She can be contacted for interviews both online and offline by prior arrangement.
For reference: Kherson was occupied by the Russians at the beginning of the full-scale invasion (on March 1, 2022). Ukrainian forces liberated the city from Russian troops on November 11, 2022. The occupiers continue to shell the city regularly.
Larysa Bortovyk, a native of Kherson, found out about russia’s full-scale offensive while she was in Mexico. Immediately, she began searching for ways to return home. Despite the russian occupation of her city, Larysa made it back to Ukraine. In May 2022, she traveled to the russian-held city, helping friends and others who wanted to escape to Ukrainian-controlled areas.
After relocating to the Kyiv region, she joined the volunteer efforts there, clearing the rubble of buildings destroyed by the war. Driven by a desire to bring similar recovery efforts to her hometown, Larysa returned to Kherson just days after its liberation on November 11, 2022. She took on the role of regional coordinator for the Dobrobat volunteer movement, leading a team in clearing debris and rebuilding homes. In addition, she spearheaded projects aimed at restoring private residences and creating shelters in medical facilities. Fellow volunteers affectionately call Larysa “mom,” recognizing her commitment and the care she extends to others.
Given the ongoing security risks in the Kherson region, her volunteer team is now focused on setting up shelters.
Journalists can arrange interviews with Larysa in Kherson or Kyiv, as well as remotely.
Background: Kherson fell under russian occupation at the start of the full-scale invasion on March 1, 2022. The city was liberated by Ukrainian forces on November 11, 2022, though russian forces continue to shell the area regularly.
Twelve years ago, Yuliia Roshchenko and her husband opened a copy center in Chornobaivka, Kherson oblast. There, local people could make copies of documents or print out necessary papers. After the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion, Yuliia stayed up at night printing signs that read “Children” so that those fleeing the occupation could put them on their cars, hoping to protect their families from russian attacks.
Later, the occupiers came to the copy center and demanded that Yuliia and her husband print russian documents and take photographs for russian passports. The couple refused, even though the enemy threatened them with weapons. Fearing for their lives, Yuliia’s family fled to western Ukraine, where they lived until their village was liberated by Ukrainian forces.
Upon their return, the couple received a government grant to reopen the copy center in Chornobaivka. Later, Yuliia and her husband were able to open a second location in Kherson.
Yuliia Roshchenko and her husband are currently in Kherson and are open to communication with journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.
Background: Kherson was occupied by russian forces at the beginning of the full-scale invasion (March 1, 2022). Ukrainian forces liberated the city from russian troops on November 11, 2022. However, the occupiers continue to regularly shell the city.
Nataliia Holubieva, a medical doctor by profession, co-founded and leads the Kherson Oblast Medicine charity foundation, which provides humanitarian aid to hospitals and patients. During the russian occupation of Kherson, she remained in the city, continuing her volunteer work, including sourcing scarce medicines from the Ukrainian-controlled areas.
Following the liberation of part of the region, Holubieva turned her focus to helping residents affected by the occupiers’ destruction of the Kakhovka HPP. She coordinated efforts to resettle those displaced, ensuring they received clothing, food, and medical supplies.
Holubieva stayed in Kherson until August 2023, when intensifying russian shelling with guided bombs forced her to leave for Kropyvnytskyi with her child. On the anniversary of Kherson’s liberation, she established the “United by Kherson Region” Humanitarian Aid Center, which now supports over 1,500 people (560 families) displaced from the Kherson region. The Center also aids residents from other hard-hit areas, including Melitopol, Crimea, and Kharkiv, and assists medical and educational institutions by providing medicine and hygiene products.
Holubieva dreams of opening a medical center specifically for displaced persons, where she can offer both psychological and humanitarian assistance. She is currently searching for a location while pursuing a degree in psychology to further help those in need.
Journalists can arrange interviews with Nataliia in Kropyvnytskyi or online by appointment.
Background: Kherson was occupied by russian forces in March 2022, shortly after the invasion began. Ukraine retook the city of Kherson from occupying russian forces on November 11, 2022, though russian shelling continues.
Before the full-blown war, Olena and Valentyn Bielozorenko dedicated 11 years to developing their eco-farm in Stanislav, Kherson Oblast. The couple cared for 30 goats, 11 dogs, and 10 cats, producing cheese and offering educational excursions for both children and adults. However, when the war erupted, their farm fell under enemy occupation.
For eight and a half months, the Bielozorenkos found themselves surrounded, relying on food exchanges with neighbors to survive. After Ukraine’s Armed Forces liberated their village, they continued to endure for another year in the reclaimed territory, facing persistent shelling. The farm suffered damage from enemy strikes, resulting in the loss of one animal, the destruction of feed supplies, and Valentyn sustaining a concussion.
In October 2023, the couple made the difficult decision to evacuate. They found refuge in the Kyiv region, where they were welcomed by displaced individuals from Donetsk, who generously provided them with a farm and a house at no cost. Within a year at their new location, the number of goats doubled. Looking ahead, Olena and Valentyn plan to establish a rehabilitation center for Ukrainian soldiers on their farm.
For those interested, Olena and Valentyn Bielozorenko are available for online conversations.
For reference: November 11, 2024, will mark the two-year anniversary of Ukraine’s retaking of the city of Kherson from occupying russian forces.
Before the full-scale invasion, Inna Yakovenko ran a successful business selling windows and doors, operating out of two trade pavilions in the village of Novovorontsovka, Kherson region. When war broke out, her village was the only one in the Novovorontsovka community that remained unoccupied, but it endured relentless shelling from russian forces for seven straight months. Throughout August 2022, Inna took refuge in her basement, sheltering from near-constant bombardments that eventually wrecked her business.
After Ukrainian forces liberated the region, Inna decided to shift her focus from retail to reconstruction. Determined to help her community recover, she began producing granite blocks to support the rebuilding of homes in her war-torn village.
For reference: November 11, 2024, will mark the two-year anniversary of Kherson’s liberation from russian occupation.
