Status: 13.11.2022 2:24 p.m
Mines in the streets, destroyed power and water lines, no cell phone reception: after the recapture of Cherson, Ukraine now has a lot of work to do. The environment has also suffered.
In the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, which is now back under Ukrainian control, the legacy of the Russian occupiers is a major burden for the population, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to him, the Russian troops destroyed vital infrastructure before their retreat.
Among other things, the water and power supply is affected, people can no longer heat. The aim of the occupiers was to harm the population. Everything should be restored as soon as possible. Zelenskyi appealed to the residents of Kherson to take care of themselves. Addressing the authorities, he said:
It is now very important to tell all residents of Kherson to be careful. They should not try to independently inspect buildings and objects left behind by the occupiers. Please, if you have a connection with the citizens of the city, be sure to pass this on to them.
“Should there be damage to the dam, there is a risk of flooding for parts of Cherson”, Tobias Dammers, WDR, currently Kyiv, on the situation in Cherson
tagesschau24 10:00 a.m., 13.11.2022
“We have to renew almost everything”
According to Zelensky, more than 2,000 mines and explosive objects have been defused in Kherson so far. A pioneer had already been injured. Representatives of the Ukrainian regional administration and security bodies such as the police and secret service have resumed their work on site. Selenskyj announced that he would liberate other areas still controlled by Russia. You won’t forget anyone.
Cherson was the only regional capital that had been conquered by Russian troops. The area was annexed by Russia a few weeks ago, in violation of international law. For people, this meant, for example, that the ruble was introduced as a means of payment, only Russian media were available and they had to apply for social benefits from the Russian authorities. Restoring the Ukrainian system is now a priority, according to deputy chief of the Kherson region Sobolevsky. “The Ukrainian post office is restarting its work so that pensions can also be delivered to people who do not have bank cards,” he reports.
We are also working on updating the banking system so that you can pay with bank cards. The mobile phone network is renewed, because there is now almost no telephone connection in Kherson. Well, there are a lot of problematic areas, we have to replace almost everything.
Toxins in the air and groundwater
After more than eight months of war in Ukraine, the country is also suffering from massive environmental damage. Experts point out that Russian attacks on fuel depots have released poisons into the air and groundwater. Serious consequences for the health of the population threatened.
According to the environmental organization WWF, more than six million people in Ukraine have no or only limited access to clean drinking water. 280,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed. Eliminating the environmental damage is likely to take decades, according to experts.
After the withdrawal of Russian troops from Cherson – 2,000 mines had already been defused
Stephan Laack, WDR, 11/13/2022 10:47 a.m