- Published
The Ukrainian city of Kherson has known its first two days of quiet after many years, as a US-brokered temporary ceasefire has allowed residents rare moments of respite from the constant Russian aerial attacks that plague the front line region.
asserted
that → publish → region
Videos posted on social media showed people strolling down streets covered in anti-drone nets and gathering in the city's squares - ordinary activities that usually mean keeping one eye on the sky and one ear out for incoming drones.
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that → post → drones
"Ever since the ceasefire was announced, there's been total silence," said Olga, 42, speaking by phone from Kherson.
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Olga → announce → Kherson
"I don't even know what to call it," she added, her smile coming through in her voice.
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smile → know → voice
"It's as if everything has finally come to an end.
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everything → come → end
Since Tuesday, Kherson has "literally come back to life," Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said.
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ombudsman → come → life
"People are calmly going out, walking, enjoying the autumn sun.
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People → go → sun
The temporary pause in hostilities - due to end on Sunday - is the result of efforts by US First Lady Melania Trump to broker a safe passage out of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky, which lies on the other side of the Dnipro river from Kherson.
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which → end → Kherson
For several days, Russian forces have been working to clear the road of mines, ahead of a planned evacuation of Oleshky's civilians on Friday.
But there are fears that, alongside carrying out the well-publicised "humanitarian operation" – which some American journalists will be invited to witness – the Russians are using the truce to bolster their forces in the area ahead of a renewed onslaught of Kherson from next week.
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Russians → work → week
"They are... using this lull to strengthen their positions, bring in more military supplies, weapons, ammunition, and drones, and carry out some redeployment of their forces," an anonymous source working in local government told the BBC.
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source → use → BBC
Petro Andriushchenko, Director of Ukraine's Center for Studying the Occupation, says Kherson locals have told him that they witnessed a military build-up around Radensk, some 20km (12 miles) from Oleshky.
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they → study → Oleshky
Its residents will be saved but "we are simultaneously giving the enemy an opportunity to exploit the ceasefire for its own military purposes," he said.
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he → save → purposes
Once the ceasefire ends, the situation may be "worse than we saw before, because Russia's units will be stronger.
uncertain
units → end → ?
They have enough time to prepare to prolong this action.
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They → have → action
Though Kherson residents are clear-eyed about what lies ahead, for a brief period this week the city caught its breath.
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city → lie → breath
No violations have been reported on either side since Tuesday.
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violations → report → Tuesday
There have been other ceasefires in the past, but these were generally not respected, Kherson resident Dima said.
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Dima → respect → past
"This is the first time the shelling has stopped, people don't quite believe it," he told the BBC.
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he → stop → BBC
"They are going to the shops, drinking coffee, walking around...
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They → go → coffee
On social media, a woman named Yulia wrote about her unusually uneventful trip to the supermarket with an edge of disbelief.
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woman → name → disbelief
For once, she said, she returned home from the shops "whole and calm, not as usual - scared, sweating from the horror and with a lump in my throat."
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she → say → throat
This week, dozens of people were also able to access their belongings and homes in the so-called "red zone" of Kherson – an area so exposed to drones and artillery attacks that it has become unlivable.
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it → access → drones
"Some are venturing into places where nobody has dared to go for years, filming areas where simply being present has meant - and will once again mean - almost certain death," said Denisa Bohackova, a Czech volunteer who lives in Kherson.
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who → venture → Kherson
Dima described scenes of "girls, boys, parents, grandmothers" walking down the streets of the red zone carrying suitcases and bags, returning to their flats to see what they could retrieve.
uncertain
they → describe → what
Some of those who returned to the red zone found buildings reduced to charred, empty shells; in other cases, homes had been looted.
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homes → return → cases
The scale of destruction in some of these places, Bohackova said, is "breathtaking".
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Bohackova → say → places
Others were rushing back for reasons beyond material concerns.
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Others → rush → concerns
Angela Dobrovolska's husband Serhiy was killed two years ago by a grenade dropped by a piloted Russian drone - an instance of a "human safari" attack of the kind that Kherson has become sadly infamous for.
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Kherson → kill → that
On Thursday, Angela headed back from Kyiv to Kherson to visit his grave for the first time in months.
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Angela → head → months
"They say that all the people have rushed to Kherson," she said.
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she → say → Kherson
"And I'll be going to the cemetery to my husband."
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I → go → husband
The population of Kherson has dwindled from over 250,000 to about 65,000 since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which will enter its sixth year in February.
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which → dwindle → February
Though civilian life in the city never stopped, Bohackova said, it also carried on under the conditions of an active battlefield, with schools, theatres, kindergartens and hospitals moved underground.
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schools → stop → battlefield
"An ordinary civilian from Kherson has experienced more of this war than many soldiers," Bohackova said.
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Bohackova → experience → soldiers
Olga, who is raising two children, described regular blackouts, mines dropped by drones and concealed by fallen leaves, drone fragments ricocheting, and a city that typically shuts by the afternoon.
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that → raise → afternoon
But since silence fell on the city, Olga has been able to live a normal life.
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Olga → fall → life
She drove to a different town and took the bus to another district to visit her grandmother with her son.
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She → drive → son
After years of quiet streets, "there was even a small traffic jam," she smiled.
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she → be → streets
But the clock is ticking.
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clock → tick → ?
The evacuation of nearby Oleshky is due to be completed by Sunday, after which the ceasefire will be over.
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ceasefire → complete → which
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
