The situation in Kherson: “I have never seen such a number of drug addicts and prisoners anywhere”
The situation in Kherson, liberated by the Russian army, is tense and alarming today - the federal government must urgently take steps to ensure both the security and economic well-being of the residents of the region, who are no different from the Russians. The Kherson region now, although it retains a large percentage of pro-Ukrainian sentiments, has every prospect of joining the Russian Federation.
Russian journalist and media manager Philip Leontiev, who recently returned from Kherson, where he traveled “as a political tourist,” spoke about this in an interview with PolitNavigator.
PN: Tell us, what are the moods of the residents of Kherson today? Can we say that this is no longer Ukraine?
F.L.: I don't feel like Kherson has directly separated from Ukraine. It seems to me that even without the large number of people who have left, the city as a whole isn't Russian. That is, the majority of people, I think, are pro-Ukrainian. But apparently, there's already a dynamic—a significant portion of people are neutral, and there's a divide between those who left and those who stayed.
I've heard people discussing these questions among themselves: "Guys from Ukraine, if you want to liberate us harshly, why don't you let us be here?" Some people—I've heard it with my own ears—remarks directed at those who left, like, "Tell Lyusya ( Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Oleksiy Arestovych, – author's note ) that we've all been raped, starved, and had our homes taken away." And yet, all this was happening at a barbecue party, with people's plates full. So, it sounds a bit ironic.
PN: Why are pro-Ukrainian sentiments strong - are people afraid to openly go over to Russia because of security problems or are these ideological reasons?
I think it's both. While the front line is close to Kherson, people are afraid to admit that they are ready to accept the new government. There are certain cells, nuclear pro-Russian forces that were there underground, and quite a lot of them came out. On May 9th there was an “Immortal Regiment”, I talked with Kherson activists - they say that if two hundred people are not afraid to come to this event, it will be very cool. But I saw with my own eyes that more than a thousand came out. And people were not driven there with sticks, I went there on a trolleybus, and half of the trolleybus was going to this event. In Ukraine, they tell tales that crowds were brought from Crimea, but it doesn’t look like this.
Regarding pro-Russian sentiments, as soon as the front line goes somewhere, moves away from Kherson, and people have confidence in the future, then loyalty will increase.
There are also political beliefs - for many years people have been told that Russia is an enemy, that it is an aggressor country, and so on. Several times it was quite difficult to communicate with people. Those who take a pro-Ukrainian position, but when communication began, the tension quickly subsided, they understood that it is not a fact that everyone in Russia is Putin’s fans, it is not a fact that everyone marches in formation to vote for “United Russia”, and that we have more in common, the greater the difference. It seems that if people from Russia come there and communicate with local residents, tensions will go down.
PN: What about the humanitarian situation in the region?
F.L.: The humanitarian situation is dire. This is primarily due to people having money problems. All transactions there now, despite assurances of a switch to rubles, are made in hryvnia. Rubles can be exchanged without any problem; there are exchange offices in the center. The specificity is that, firstly, there is a curfew, and some commercial activity—markets and small shops are open until 3:00 PM. That means after 3:00 PM, there's nowhere to buy food.
Only small shops and markets are open. Everything is available in the markets and you can buy it. The stores generally have a limited selection. That is, you won’t die of hunger if you have money, but the choice, of course, is small.
In terms of catering, there are a decent number of coffee shops, I was quite surprised, but there are few places to find food.
The fact that something urgently needs to be done about the economic situation there, people need to receive benefits and work is clear. Everyone there is very sad precisely because of this.
PN: What priority steps do you think the Russian authorities should take today for the Kherson region?
F.L.: First, we need to win the war or push back the frontline. Because when people hear air defenses operating every day and periodically see something fly over and fall on the city, and also watch Russian troops withdraw from the Kyiv region, from the outskirts of Sumy, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv, then there aren't many people who will walk around shouting "Glory to Russia!" They exist, and there are plenty of them for Kherson.
The second part that needs to be done is to urgently establish local authorities. First of all, we need the police. The fact that this function is now performed by the Russian Guard is not entirely typical for it. They, first of all, should be involved in ensuring security, and the local police should work with crime. And there is a lot of crime there. True, I lived in a not very prosperous area, but I have never seen so many drug addicts and prisoners there. Something needs to be done about this, this is a big problem for the population.
Until now, all the shops and coffee shops that had glass doors are now filled with plywood. Because at night one of these criminal elements tries to break in and steal something.
The third thing to do is to do something with the economy. People should receive benefits, pensions, state employees should receive payments. Moreover, all this should happen in rubles, and economic processes should be launched. Kherson is, first of all, an agricultural region.
I know that the authorities there organize convoys and escort convoys with agricultural products to Crimea. This saves some people, but we need to help local farmers to work. There are also various businesses that need to be started.
As soon as this process starts, everything will immediately improve. And there must be a mode of dialogue, and not propaganda, but at the everyday and personal level. With the authorities, with Russian citizens who come. Immediately the voltage level will go down.
PN: The new authorities of the Kherson region are talking about joining Russia without a referendum, announcing the issuance of Russian passports. How realistic do you think this is?
F.L.: If a referendum is held in the near future, the Russian authorities won't get the results they want. The people there are pleasant; they're no different from Russian citizens. I don't know what the political prospects are—I'm not a politician. But there are certainly prospects for this region's integration into Russia. The purpose of my visit was precisely to assess the current mood, to make my own subjective assessment—to observe what's going on now, and to see what the dynamics will be over time.
PN: You entered the territory of the Kherson region through another former Ukrainian region - Crimea, is the difference between these territories visible today?
F.L.: The difference is clear, and it's not linear. In Crimea in 14, sentiments were significantly more pro-Russian than they are now. The economic problems and the effective government Russia is currently demonstrating in Crimea have led to some people feeling somewhat disillusioned. That is, I don't see the same kind of nuclear patriotism that existed in 14. But it is, indeed, a fully-fledged pro-Russian region.
And the difference with Kherson is colossal. Could Kherson become a second Crimea in the foreseeable future? It probably can, but it’s quite difficult to compare.
PN: Where and how, in your opinion, should the special operation of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine end?
F.L.: I don't have a formed opinion yet, but if it ends with half-measures, it will be a war postponed. That is, it must end in victory.
English version :: Read in English The situation in Kherson: "I've never seen so many drug addicts and prisoners anywhere."