“I sat on my knees and prayed:” Kherson residents recount Russian artillery terror

Russian forces conducted an hour-long artillery and rocket attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson early morning of 20 December, killing two people and injuring eleven others.

While much of Kherson city and parts of the right bank have been liberated in 2022, certain areas remain under Russian occupation, particularly those east of the Dnipro River. Since the liberation, Kherson and its surrounding regions have been subjected to near-daily shelling by Russian forces. This bombardment often targets civilian infrastructure, including homes, shops, and hospitals. 

The State Emergency Service of Kherson Oblast reported the assault on 20 December began around 5:00 a.m., combining conventional artillery with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS).

The strikes caused extensive damage across the city, particularly affecting the Korabelny district and downtown areas.

“They were shelling with Grads. They hit a public transport stop. The windows in my shop were blown out. I live nearby, and the strikes were all over the district. It was very frightening,” a flower shop owner, Volodymyr, told Ukrainian news media Suspilne. 

Khrystyna is a street cleaner who started her work in the morning when the shelling began. She says many buildings were damaged in the area, a bus stop was destroyed, and power lines were damaged.

“There was a lot of shelling. It was terrifying. I prayed to God. I sat on my knees and prayed. I asked for it all to end,” Khrystyna said.

In downtown Kherson, buildings and shops were damaged, windows were blown out, balconies were destroyed, and traffic lights were broken.

“We heard glass shattering. We lay down, waiting for the shelling to end. Then we went to look – the windows were completely blown out. There was no electricity. Then everything was restored: electricity, gas, and water,” said a local resident Vira Hvozdyk.

Kherson resident Oleksandr was renting out a space in downtown Kherson. Now it’s completely destroyed.

“You can see what they did. Now I don’t even know where to seek help. Everything inside is damaged by fragments. This is the second time we’ve been hit. The first time it was just a bit from the blast wave. But the second time, as you can see, it’s serious,” said Oleksandr.