Ukrainian soldiers from the port city of Kherson spent months trying to liberate their homes. They described scenes of wreckage — as well as relief and joy at finally returning.
Col. Roman Kostenko liberated his home village in Kherson last week. Russian troops occupied his childhood home for months. They took his body armor and medals and left a grenade and a vulgar message on an outside wall.Col. Roman Kostenko liberated his home village in Kherson last week. Russian troops occupied his childhood home for months. They took his body armor and medals and left a grenade and a vulgar message on an outside wall.
"The windows were broken," Kostenko recalled in a text message with NPR."Almost all the furniture and things were stolen," including his body armor and medals. All that remained was a bed, some old wardrobes and a grenade the Russians had left behind. Stanislav Volovyk, a reconnaissance officer, said Ukrainian artillery and rocket strikes cut off Russian supply lines and forced them to retreat from Kherson city."Otherwise, it was just going to be a matter of time before we pretty much killed them all," he said."We pretty much denied those troops their supply chains," says Stanislav Volovyk, a Ukrainian drone operator who helps guide the fire of howitzers."We blew up the bridges.
"Fox," as he's known by his battle nickname, fled Kherson city on the first day of the invasion. A seaman on a cargo ship, he joined the Ukrainian army and returned to liberate his neighborhood last week as a soldier."Fox," as he's known by his battle nickname, fled Kherson city on the first day of the invasion. A seaman on a cargo ship, he joined the Ukrainian army and returned to liberate his neighborhood last week as a soldier.
Fox said the people of Kherson were so euphoric, they seemed, for the moment, to forget the difficulties that still lie ahead.
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