War in Ukraine, 2023
As the front lines stabilised over the winter, Bakhmut, the only major town in Ukraine in Russian hands – specifically those of the Wagner militia – became the scene of fierce fighting.
On June 4th, the long-awaited Ukrainian counter-offensive to retake the territory from the Russian occupying forces began. It is concentrated in the regions of Donetsk in the east and Zaporizhzhia in the south-east, but President Zelensky has admitted that progress is “slower than we would like”. The operation in southern Ukraine was made even more difficult when the Kakhovka dam on the Dniepr river was destroyed in alleged Russian sabotage. Russia continue to target the Ukrainians with missile and drone strikes, notably on the capital and the town of Zaporizhzhia.
More than a year after the invasion, Ukraine is now hoping that this latest counter-offensive can tip the war in its favour. Gert Jochems went to Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to report on the situation on the ground.
On the night of Monday 5 to Tuesday 6 June, the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam on the Dniepr caused tragic flooding in the town of Kherson. In addition to the many missing, the death toll rose to more than 25, while more than 8,000 people had to be evacuated as a matter of urgency. Water from the reservoir spilled into the riverbed, flooding vast areas, sometimes several kilometres across. A mass evacuation of residents was launched. The boat landing area was targeted by Russian mortar fire. Most of the volunteers took shelter in a temporary structure. Did the Russians deliberately target the foreign volunteers as a deterrent to make the situation in the town more difficult? The attacks continue, however, leaving the city’s residents in an extremely precarious situation.
8 kilometres from the front line, the soldiers of the 108th infantry brigade in Zaporizhzhia are practising different combat situations. For example, they have to storm a village, house by house, in small groups of two or three soldiers. They have to cover each other and keep their flanks protected to avoid any surprise attack from the enemy. Instructors teach them how to approach an enemy trench, from reorganising in the event of a wound to evacuating the wounded from the battlefield. Snipers take up strategic positions by remaining stationary for long periods. Patience and rigour are the watchwords for assessing the strength of the wind and adjusting their shots, which can be lethal from a distance of 1.5 kilometres.
Aged 89, Agafia has been bedridden for four years due to a brain disease and is unaware of the war going on. Despite this, a piece of shrapnel fell near her bed during the winter.
Larisa, aged 83, says she was born with a smile and that the Russians cannot take it away from her.
Her husband, Pjotr, 79, bursts into tears several times during the interview.
Lydia, 83, lived on the banks of the Dnieper in Kherson. Her house is flooded and nothing of her possessions remains.
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