“Armed Forces in the city! We celebrate! "

How the Russian army receded from Kherson - and what is happening in the city now. The local resident tells

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the completion of the “crossing” to the left bank of the Dnieper of the entire group, which was there - more than 30 thousand soldiers and 5 thousand units of armored vehicles. Behind this formulation, the Russian authorities are trying to hide the retreat from Kherson, the only large regional center of Ukraine, which was occupied at the very beginning of the war. By the evening of November 11, the first videos appeared in which the inhabitants of the Kherson region meet their army with the flags of Ukraine, chant "Armed Forces!" And they pump the soldiers in their arms. The Belarusian edition of Mirror talked with one of the Kherson, who watched the retreat of the Russian military from the city. With the permission of the editorial office, we publish this material on Medusa.

On Wednesday, November 9, the Russian authorities officially announced that the troops from Kherson, the only regional center, which Russia managed to win from the beginning of the invasion. In the afternoon on Thursday, in local chats they wrote: "There is no light and water in the city, and the connection works with interruptions." We were able to get through to Telegram to Telegram only by ten in the evening: a man suddenly earned a mobile Internet.

“It catches only on the balcony, I go into the kitchen by a meter, everything disappears and is poorly loaded,” Matvey describes the situation. - So I have an office now, let's say, on the balcony.

Matvey lives in the city center, on the upper floors of one of the heights. In the smartphone he has a Russian SIM card. Ordinary calls pull, but with the Internet there are problems. On Thursday evening, he says that for the first time in five days he caught something. “Caught” - in this case, the concept is quite conditional. In order to talk at least a little, we had to overdose each other 46 times. Moreover, the closer time was selected for midnight, the more often I had to repeat: "Hello, Hello, I do not hear you." But Matvey constantly heard the sounds of flying missiles.

- The last days we all saw that the Russians were leaving the city. They saw their equipment, loaded with washing machines, chairs. They took out boats. I personally watched how two KamAZs were driving, clogged with beer. It was clear: something was happening. On Wednesday, mobile communications and the Internet did not work in the center, so the news about the fact that Shoigu was given by Kherson, I learned only on Thursday when I came to work. The first, about what then thought: “And where are ours? Come on, come in! Give me Kalashmat ( as the Kalashnikov assault rifle is called on the army slang. - Approx. Mirror ), let's drive them further, ”the man returns to those events. -There are no Ukrainian military in Kherson yet, they are somewhere on the way, and when they come, it is not known.

According to the interlocutor, in recent days it was even visually noticeable how the number of Russian military decreased sharply in Kherson. Previously, on the way to the store “Two or three of their cars”, one could see more men walking “in shape”. The patrol of the Russian military could be seen at night. But on Thursday, November 10, Matvey almost noticed anyone.

-On Wednesday, they also saw some “armor” with soldiers. And today, on the way to work, I saw only one car without numbers. A bearded, like a Chechen, sat behind the wheel. Without form, but we understand everything. On Wednesday, they for the most part left, collected everything. I heard that teenagers climbed in the administration building that day. The Russians who came there for weapons and furniture, they were caught and slowed down, they say, what they took. They replied that nothing. They were released. Plus, homeless people are already climbing, ”Matvey continues and is unexpectedly distracted. - The car with the headlights turned on at speed flew. There are still Russians in the city.

"Russians, as I understand it, shoot in the city or under the city"

In recent days, the situation in Kherson has become more and more intense. Every day, says Matvey, worse and worse.

- Explosions are heard in the city. I read that some administrative buildings were blown up. I don't watch something TV. As I understand it, where the Russians were, where they left, then they blew up, ”Matvey argues and is distracted again. - Wait, wait ... No, no! In terms of?! ***** [damn], where! We can say, in the city ****** [beat]. The rocket flew ... This, as I understand it, it flew from the side of Zurupinsk ( the current name of the city is Alyoshka, it is located on the left bank of the Dnieper. Russian troops moved to the other side of the river. - Approx. Mirror ). Falled near the Antonovsky bridge, one might say, flew to the city. Now the explosions along the outskirts, the arrivals are loud.

This was the first, but not the last rocket that Matvey saw and heard in the hour of our constantly interrupted conversation.

- The Russians, as I understand it, shoot around the city or under the city. The explosions began in the evening, but we did not pay much attention, we were engaged in their business. It exploded and exploded, we have something bang every day. Then the Internet appeared, I went to the balcony and now I’m watching all this, ”Matvey describes the situation. - The windows are already walking. They look at the left bank with me. It can be seen that the missiles fly on the other side.

Matvey's voice remains calm. He notes that he is not going to asylum.

“Until it arrives in our area, it makes no sense to go down anywhere,” he explains. - Depart and depart. It is clear that they will blow up and swear around the city. I used to see that rockets from the left bank were launched and, flying over Kherson, headed towards Nikolaev, Snigirevka, that is, they shot through us. And now they shoot closer. Each time, the explosions are louder and louder, although it seems to be not heard on our news that the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces are under Kherson.

According to the interlocutor, when missiles from the Ukrainian military exploded a month ago in the city, it was clear what and where it would fall: in the buildings where the Russian military lived.

“We even rejoiced at such moments:“ Oh, ours flew, minus so many orcs, cool, ”he says. - And now, when they ( Russians - approx. “Mirror” ) began to shoot, it is not clear where it all falls, and a little scary. We understand that we may have the same situation as in Mariupol, that they will fire at home, but as it will be. We plan with the family, if the border to Nikolaev opens, then I will take them out, and I will return. In general, there are those who do not have the opportunity to leave, or whoever does not want to.

"Walking, purchased, many work"

On Thursday evening, there was no light in Cherson. By November 10, the electricity has not worked in the house of Matveya for six days. The same amount in his apartment in the cranes was not water. Only the batteries that are still warmed on gas.

“People buy flashlights, batteries, candles,” he says. - I understood that it would be so, so I prepared. I have three Powerbanks, flashlights, garlands on batteries in normal quantities. In the afternoon, it is possible to charge the Pauerbanks from the generator at work.

He also prepared the products: a bag of pasta, rice, canned food. Water in the supply was collected in plastic bottles that were purchased in the summer.

- We went to the store for water, poured from the tank there. And on Wednesday, they scored from the tap at the next entrance. How much he raised, and brought it home. Still, I live high, and the elevator does not work, ”he says. - They say that on the three lower floors there was water in the last days. In other areas too. On Wednesday, he talked with a friend, she accepted the bathroom. And we have, so that the water rises to the floors, the pumps should start. And if there is no light, then they are not turned on.

In case the situation in the city worsens, Matvey has already prepared the basement. There are mattresses and clothes.

- The neighbors from another entrance said that they also had a shelter and you can come to them. But in general, people are not very tuned to bring some things to the basements in advance, because now there are a lot of thieves. The friend recently stole a bag with two packs of “diapers” from behind a friend, while he took products from a stroller near the house. What to say, there are such people. Steal. The stalls in the city open, shops "break".

And also, the man continues, the locals are trying to get rid of Russian money, which, suggest, is about to depreciate.

- They immediately scooped up electric stoves, now gas, because when there is no light, you can at least bask and cook on gas. Household chemistry is also taken. They buy five bottles, thinking that the situation will stretch for a long time and then there will simply be nothing to wash, ”the interlocutor shares observations. - When the Russians started moving, I know, the locals took toilet paper pallets. Now it costs a little, and then they will sell it in the markets. Everyone is spinning as they can.

On the question, what are the townspeople who have received Russian passports, Matvey stretches in a smile: “I don’t know.”

- Today I heard that among the people with whom I intersect at work, there are a couple of such. Then they rejoiced, and now they are silent. One, it seems, disappeared. Although, it seems, I have not left yet, ”the interlocutor replies. - The second walks is silent. Everyone has already told him that wait, they say, you will soon go to communicate. They understand that it will be not good for them.

According to Matvey, some of the locals who were for the Russians went to the left bank. And those who support Ukraine and are waiting for the Armed Forces of Ukraine all these months are very happy about the news of the Kherson’s surrender. “They finally said,” the interlocutor briefly and capaciously describes their emotions. And complements: despite the difficulties of what is happening around, people try to hold on to a normal life.

- Walking, purchased, many work. At work, it happens, they ask: “Well? How are you? When will ours be here? What about the news? " - Lists questions that bother residents, and says that many are already used to the sounds of explosions. - Of course, if the city arrived in the city, people would be afraid. And so, until massive shelling begins, no one is going to sit in the basements. I remembered the situation, when the Russians entered the city, there were shelling and shooting. At that time, the movements of the locals were gathered, who tried to defend Kherson. I remember how we were in the park, trying to hold back the offensive, and people followed the milk, which was distributed for free, and purchase. We stopped them: "There are Russians, where are you?" And they: "We are so milk." And so we turned up a lot of people. So we have few people here.

Matvey repeats that he will not go to the basement at night. In parting, we try to tell Matvey good night, although when the city in the city, the wish looks strange.

- Previously, to be honest, we waited for troubled nights, so that there were arrivals and explosions and our ones were knocked out of here as soon as possible. And now, when they shoot, I really want the night to be calm, ”he concludes.

While preparing the text, information appeared that the Armed Forces entered Kherson

“Armed Forces in the city! We celebrate! " - Matvey wrote on Friday afternoon.

The Internet in Kherson is still poorly working, so the man recorded a voice:

- We went to the park to look at the fallen TV, and there we heard from the people what our military was seen in the Tauride region and a car with a flag was driving in the center. We went to the center to the administration, people have already gathered there. They shouted: “Glory to Ukraine!”, “Glory to the heroes!”, Hung flags - at the administration, on a stele, on the store. Cars in the center stop, the signaling. Everyone walks joyful. People say our troops are slowly calling in Kherson. I think that the city will be cleaned for a long time, because there are still Russian military with weapons by civilian.

"Mirror"