Kherson oblast keeps struggling to survive in the conditions when the left bank remains under occupation, while the de-occupied right bank is under constant massive enemy fire – the enemy is “erasing” the settlements near the Dnipro. Messages about dead and wounded civilians are received every day. Lately, the right bank has been under massive enemy attack with guided aerial bombs, which occasionally fail to reach their targets and fall in the settlements on the still-occupied left bank. The entire Kherson oblast is a frontline now.

We talked to Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson oblast military administration, about how the de-occupied part of the oblast is preparing for the winter, how people are being evacuated from waterside settlements, what preparations are being made for work on the left bank after its liberation, and, of course, about farmers and de-mining.

THE SECOND STAGE OF THE SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER PROGRAMME – 3,200 MORE HOUSEHOLDS

- How many people live in the de-occupied part of Kherson oblast now?

- Approximately 175,000 people.

- The authorities stated that vulnerable population categories would receive the fuel they needed to survive the winter – we’re talking about houses which don’t have centralised heating. What is the situation in this field, what has been done, what help are people receiving – money or fuel?

- We have 14,386 houses with individual heating. To provide all these houses with wood fuel, we have held a meeting with some charitable organisations, namely the International Organisation for Migration, SaveUA, Samarytiany, New Dawn, and others. The charitable organisations confirmed that they were able to provide wood and coal for 10 thousand families. To provide the rest of the households with fuel, we keep searching, the shortage is a little more than 21,000 cubic meters.

- Is it possible to provide centralised heating for Ostriv micro-district in Kherson, which did not have heating during the last season  (on 13 December 2022, city authorities informed that heating was shut down in the Korabel micro-district in Kherson due to enemy shelling and called on the residents to evacuate)?

- We have already drilled a water well and ensured water supply. The Ostriv boiler house with all of its pumps is ready. Repair works have also been performed – all of the present malfunctions have been eliminated. But, of course, there will be more bursts because the area was under constant shelling. I think, starting on Monday (23 October – the author), we’ll begin to fill the system with water to see if there are any more malfunctions and eliminate them. We will turn on the heating as soon as the temperature outside is appropriate. I think the boiler house will be launched before 15 November.

- The Shoulder-to-Shoulder project for restoring Kherson villages destroyed by Russians included a plan for 15 regions of Ukraine to rebuild 26 settlements. What is being rebuilt at the moment, and what are the plans for the future?

- Currently, houses are being restored in 12 communities. Currently, 685 objects have already been repaired, and 388 are under repair. Seventy-six more settlements have been added to the second phase. This means approximately 3,200 households and 92 social infrastructure facilities. Inspections started in the said settlements. We have already prepared a request to the Cabinet of Ministers to allocate funds to implement the Shoulder-to-Shoulder project. The initial tranche (up to UAH 1 billion) will be distributed between oblasts, which are helping us. They will direct the funds to their enterprises involved in restoring houses in Kherson oblast.

- Is this billion meant for the second stage of the project?

- Yes, for those 76 settlements. As well as for houses not completed at the first stage.

- How many villages on the right bank are unlikely to be rebuilt?

- We are talking about ten small villages inhabited by up to ten families each. These settlements are destroyed now – it is not feasible to restore them… This figure is as of now. If the intensity of shelling does not change, there will be more such settlements. The decision is not final, though; if people return to villages, we will restore the said villages. I keep in touch with heads of military administrations; we also discuss the rebuilding situation.

- Who performs inspections within the Shoulder-to-Shoulder project?

- Unfortunately, we have a shortage of construction specialists in Kherson oblast now. Inspections are performed by specialists from other oblasts who will rebuild the houses and facilities in question later.

- Are there any commissions inspecting buildings destroyed or damaged due to the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant by the Russians, particularly in the oblast centre?

- The inspections never stopped. Their number was reduced due to intensive shelling. Therefore, specialists from other oblasts who were members of the commissions left. However, we added our specialists from the communities still occupied by the Russians to the said commissions. We are talking about 40 experts. They are now preparing certificates on damaged houses in Kherson and other communities where the situation is dangerous (due to shelling – the author). Therefore, inspections and preparation of certificates continue. However, there probably will be no payments for some time in the communities located within the area of active hostilities. In the relatively safe communities (Kalynivka and partially Darivka), we plan to make payments to the affected people.

- How many buildings damaged and destroyed due to the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant by the Russians, are we talking about?

- 3,252 houses, including 121 apartment buildings with damaged apartments on the ground floors. 2,475 such houses have already been inspected, and 2,256 certificates have been prepared. I think we will inspect them all before the year ends. The situation is now complicated in the settlements along the Dnipro River – in Antonivka, Sadove, and Tiahynka. However, if the security situation improves, we will perform inspections there too.

MILITARY ADMINISTRATIONS ARE PREPARING FOR POST-DE-OCCUPATION OPERATION

- Are military administrations of the currently occupied left bank ready to begin operations immediately after the liberation of these territories? In particular, if the de-occupation occurs during winter?

- They are ready; I am training them. Each community has a plan; everyone knows what kind of generator they are going to need. We understand where the electric or gas supply network is connected, where critical infrastructure facilities are located, and where humanitarian centres and medical facilities are to be located. Communities are working with international partners, too.

Our warehouses have a sufficient amount of everything needed on the other side of the river. Now, donors arrive and cover the needs of residents of the de-occupied territories within a day. Therefore, we don’t use our storage space for food or hygiene products. We only stockpile supplies with a long shelf life.

- The oblast defence council has expanded the list of settlements where it is advised to evacuate children due to constant shelling – three more villages have been added to 31 settlements. How does this evacuation happen? Do you keep trying to persuade people? Children are being sent on vacation now – is this done as part of the evacuation efforts?

- Rest and recreation for children is a separate activity avenue. However, these children include those who are to be evacuated. Approximately 40 thousand people (including 5300 children) were evacuated after the de-occupation of the right bank. Since 14 September, when the decision on mandatory evacuation was taken with respect to 31 settlements, 1,203 people left, including 450 children.

We sent a proposal to the Ministry of Reintegration with respect to the mandatory evacuation of families with children and people with limited mobility from some settlements attacked with guided bombs. This decision has been agreed with the military.

Currently, Beryslav Raion is under intense air attacks. There are 287 children and about 70 people with limited mobility in 18 settlements of the raion. On 23 October, a meeting with Vice Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk occurred. Everyone is concerned about our situation because children are in constant danger.

Therefore, we have one more solution – forced mandatory evacuation from the said settlements.

- Humanitarian de-mining – according to the latest data, half a thousand people are involved in it in the de-occupied part of Kherson oblast. What are the plans – will the number of deminers and vehicles for de-mining be increased?

- We want to increase the number of our de-mining forces. That is why we are calling directly on the AFU and the President of Ukraine. By the way, Kherson Oblast is the only one to solve issues in such a manner. Because the most effective de-mining teams consist of the service members of the Armed Forces. We contacted the Minister of Defence to have such a separate team. An army battalion will be sent to Kherson oblast by 1 November. We plan to have up to a thousand deminers work on the right bank. We will also receive additional vehicles for de-mining. By the way, foreign certified de-mining operators also work in the oblast territory.

THE FARMERS WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED FOR “INOFFICIAL” DE-MINING

- Farmers asked for reimbursement for the de-mining performed by them…

- The draft state budget for 2024 includes UAH 2 billion to be used for reimbursement for the de-mining performed by farmers; we are waiting for it to be adopted and for our people to receive a reimbursement.

But I met with some farmers in Beryslav Raion recently. The farmers hired non-certified companies. Therefore, there are no field de-mining certificates. The fields have already been sown. The crop has been harvested, and the farmers are preparing to sow winter crops.

People can be understood: they need to live and work. However, it is impossible to obtain any compensation without the certificates.

- So, when de-mining was performed unofficially by people with no certificates, the money spent on such de-mining will not be reimbursed?

- Exactly.

- Due to the war, farmers lost their equipment, and farms were destroyed, as were the villages. You mentioned the opportunity to rent machinery thanks to the foundation led by Mr Buffett, an American businessman and philanthropist. Is this project working?

- Everything is working. Recently, I visited an agricultural enterprise in the village of Charivne. People are using the machinery provided by Howard Buffett. They are harvesting and sowing. Our farmers are using 13 new combine harvesters and 16 tractors with seeders.

- Are they paying anything for the machinery they are using?

- Free rent. These machines are not given as presents but rather provided for use by the farmers to be able to earn money.

- How many more combine harvesters are needed on the right bank now?

- There is not much de-mined land. Therefore, there are enough combine harvesters now. Notably, the budget includes aid for the farmers. Next year, we plan to allocate UAH 796 million to support farms on the right bank.

WE ARE PLANNING NUMEROUS EVENTS FOR THE ANNIVERSARY OF DE-OCCUPATION

- What is the situation with healthcare in the de-occupied territory?

- The problem is that the Russian military is shelling the medical infrastructure, particularly hospitals. Twenty-six healthcare facilities have been destroyed, which is 16% of the total number, and 104 healthcare facilities have been damaged (63% of the total amount). We have 15 multi-profile facilities operating, including four raion hospitals in Kherson. Mobile outpatient clinics have been installed in the settlements with destroyed healthcare facilities. Overall, 17 such facilities were installed in 15 communities. Eighty-three pharmacies are currently operating on the right bank, and the Affordable Medicines programme is being implemented. We are doing well in the healthcare sector in terms of medicines and medical professionals, considering the number of people currently living on the right bank. We are being helped – doctors and specialists from other oblasts are rotated on a recurrent basis. We address all issues together with the MoH.

- Kherson was liberated on 11 November last year. Are you planning to honour this date?

- We are planning a lot of things for the anniversary. We have support. We have been contacted by TV and radio station representatives. We will talk about our heroes, those who liberated our land and those who survived the occupation. We are filming a lot of stories about this. Various events will be held: we plan to install billboards about Kherson oblast, showing that we are free and together, in each oblast centre.

- One more question – Kherson folks are now actively arguing about renaming streets per the de-russification law. Did you participate in the online poll? By the way, what is your opinion: is it a normal option to have two streets, Yevropeiska and Katolytska, instead of one Suvorova street? And how would you rename Ushakova Avenue?

- No, I did not vote. I didn’t even know that Suvorova Street had already been renamed. In my opinion, we should definitely name a street or an avenue in our city after John Howard (a British philanthropist who fell ill and died in Kherson while helping local residents during an epidemic of typhus – Editorial office) – it should be Howarda Street, not Howardivska street. And there is one more option – Nezlamnosti (Invincibility) Avenue.

Iryna Staroselets

Photos provided by the OMA