In the early days of the war, the rapid advance of the Russians plunged the Kherson region into darkness.. What little is known about life there comes from refugees who dare to flee, reaching relative safety in front-line towns such as Zelenodolsk.. They come by any available means: on foot, by bike, by boat, in a wheelchair. One woman was dragged by her son on a carpet. At one point, about 1,000 people a day arrived. Broken bridges and increased risks mean daily inflows have dropped to single digits. But a huge yard of abandoned bicycles, wheelchairs and baskets on the outskirts of Zelenodolsk stands as a monument to a past life - temporarily, to those who fled in hope, writes The Economist..

The latest arrivals speak of heavy fighting as Ukraine prepares to counterattack from the west, near Nikolaev, and from the north, from cities like Zelenodolsk. Vlad Milin, 31, and Olga Shelemba, 26, said the shelling in their village of Dovgove had become so relentless that they decided to risk it all and take their five young children on a boat before heading to safety through country fields and mined roads.. According to them, there is no point in watching the battle unfold any longer.. "

Kherson, the gateway to the Crimea, is the only regional capital that Russia has managed to capture since the start of the war on February 24. Equally important to Russia's southern strategy is the occupation of neighboring Kakhovka on the left bank of the Dnieper, where a dam supplies water to the annexed peninsula.. The entire region is an agricultural center producing tomatoes, watermelons, sunflowers and soybeans.. For these and other reasons, Ukraine is prioritizing efforts to bring him back.. The country's forces can already boast of tactical successes. A military intelligence officer says that the forward units are now within sniper range (about a kilometer) from Chernobaevka, a suburb of Kherson. "

Whatever's happening, it still doesn't look like a full-fledged counteroffensive.. Ukraine remains focused on stopping Russia's eastward advance - on July 2, its troops retreated from Lysichansk in Luhansk Oblast - and its southern grouping does not have the three-to-one advantage recommended by strategists for a successful offensive.. Soldiers complain of a critical shortage of ammunition and infantry. " He added that this could only change if more Western missile systems were used in the southern theater.. Only a small number of M777 howitzers are currently deployed there..

Where the Ukrainians push, the Russians fight back hard. Sergei, a Ukrainian territorial defense soldier working behind Russian lines in Vysokopolye, opposite Zelenodolsk, says the enemy has built fortified bunkers underground. When they try to drive out the Russians, they come back in greater numbers.. " One village base is defended by four air defense units. The fulfillment of the task of Ukraine is hindered, the soldier complains, local residents who did not flee from the occupation and are used by Russian troops as a human shield: "

A handful of locals are collaborating with the enemy, he said.. Girls as young as 15 were recruited by the Russians. In early June, Sergei's company during a random search discovered a 40-year-old artillery spotter. The man's almost clean mobile phone gave him away. Only one game application was installed on the phone. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the game was actually a tool for recording coordinates and receiving payments in cryptocurrency.. "

The exposed Kherson lowlands mean that any Ukrainian offensive there feels the full power of Russian artillery.. They are already talking about serious losses in areas immediately south of Zelenodolsk. An attempt to force the Ingulets River near the village of Davydov Brod in May—necessary for a second line of advance on Kakhovka—was especially costly.. " "

38-year-old woman nervous as she talks about her escape. The signal to leave was sounded when Grad rockets landed in the farmyard. She jumped into a car and joined a convoy of hundreds of cars that were waiting to cross the bridge, which has since been destroyed.. The Russian military gave the green light to the crossing, but when the convoy approached the Ukrainian positions from the other side, it was fired upon. Ukrainian authorities say between 20 and 50 people died. Their bodies were not found.

Fortunately, Victoria is safe, but she did not get far from danger.. She again lives near the front line in Zelenodolsk, she was placed there by local volunteers. Like many poor Kherson refugees, she has no money for anything else.. She left everything in the village: her house, her cows, her chickens..

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But she assures that some of the Russian soldiers were Ukrainian compatriots called up " According to her, these guys paid for everything they took in the village store, first in hryvnias, then in rubles, and even said " But when the Russian positions came under serious attack, the Luhansk units were reinforced by more irate colleagues from Russia itself..

Changing moods in Davydov Brod serve as a warning of what could happen in Kherson if the Ukrainian counter-offensive gains momentum.

Anton, the pseudonym of a former official who fled to Krivoy Rog in late May after being asked to head a collaborationist body, says Russia usually tried not to upset the locals too much. According to him, it was a conscious decision to use violence against the population.. But if the situation changes and the occupiers are expelled from Kherson, little will stop them. Everything will get bad, and quickly. " "

Earlier it was reported that Russia took a break and mobilizes its economy for a long war. Analysts say the front in Ukraine has stabilized.