Posted on 11/04/2022 4:40:14 AM PDT by Timber Rattler
Eight months after Russia captured Kherson, the first major Ukrainian city to fall when Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded in February, Moscow’s grip on the city appears to be slipping as many of those who have refused Russia’s calls to evacuate anxiously wait for their city to be liberated.
“The city feels somewhat abandoned. Everyone who sympathised with Russia has fled, and the rest are stocking up on food,” said Anastasya, an elderly woman who evacuated her son at the beginning of the war but decided to stay in Kherson to take care of her three cats and two dogs.
The Guardian spoke to six Kherson residents who described a semi-deserted city looted by the fleeing Russian-installed administration.
(snip)
The pro-Russia proxy authorities now refer to those who have stayed behind as Zhduns, roughly translated as “the ones who wait”, after a grey blob with belly rolls, arms and an alien face that became a popular meme on the Russian and Ukrainian internet in 2017.
“The occupiers aren’t wrong. I am a proud Zhdun, just here waiting and waiting,” Vladimir added.
(snip)
Three Kherson residents told the Guardian that some of the shops in the city had stopped accepting the Russian-imposed rouble, months after Kremlin-installed officials attempted to swap out Ukraine’s currency, the hryvnia.
In one clip circulating online, an employee can be heard telling a customer that she had been directed by a superior to only accept payment in hryvnia.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Waiting to die?
“The city feels somewhat abandoned. Everyone who sympathised with Russia has fled, and the rest are stocking up on food,” said Anastasya, an elderly woman who evacuated her son at the beginning of the war but decided to stay in Kherson to take care of her three cats and two dogs.
The Guardian spoke to six Kherson residents who described a semi-deserted city looted by the fleeing Russian-installed administration.
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How are they stocking up on food if the city was looted?
Maybe the Russians were in a hurry to leave and didn’t get all the food. Haste to retreat seems to be their pattern.
So while the city isn't being abandoned, it is being made disposable. That at least would make sense.
“Everyone who sympathised with Russia has fled, and the rest are stocking up on food,” said Anastasya, an elderly woman…”
That’s one way to get rid of the Russian sympathizers in Ukraine.
“‘I am staying here’: Kherson residents defy Russian call to evacuate city”
Yo babushka...can I have that silver serving tray in your cabinet? You won’t be needing it...
At least one confused new mobilization Russian expressed his lost state to a local Khersonian. If they are just sending in the newly mobilized, probably not much will happen unless they get really hungry. On the other hand the Orks may be cleaning out the city of their supporters to ready it for a dirty bomb attack, or worse. I just hope that nuclear cleaning and treatment supplies are not far off in Ukraine for rapid mobilization if needed.
I have seen several reports that the recently mobiized are in fact sacrificial rear guard put in place to deter the Ukranian assault while the real troops and equipment slowly retreat across the one bridge.
Kherson can’t be defended and those troops left in the city are doomed to die or surrender
I can only imagine the nervous reconnaissance patrolling that is going on in that city, as they try to assess the situation.
I feel sorry for many of them. I hope they figure out how to surrender.
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