Mines, looting, no power: Kherson assesses damage after Russian retreat

After two nights of jubilation following the liberation of their city, the people of Kherson on Sunday began to assess the extent of the damage wreaked by eight long months of Russian occupation, with residents still without electricity and water.

The departing Russian troops also left behind thousands of mines, tripwires and unexploded shells.

The retreating Russians comprehensively destroyed all critical infrastructure including communications, electricity, water, heat, a 100-metre-tall TV tower and at least four bridges.

As has already happened in other Ukrainian regions occupied by the Russians at the start of their invasion, the first move of the Moscow troops was to destroy the telecommunication towers. For nearly eight months, the people of Kherson have been cut off from the world, from time and space. The lack of telephone networks has meant no more contact with the outside world. On Saturday, a wifi hotspot was set up next to the main bus station using a satellite dish, with passersby able to log on.

Some have already started gathering wood in preparation for a cold and bleak winter.

Additional security measures were being carried out, as military police checked the documents of local people and hunted for Russian soldiers and saboteurs who might have disguised themselves as civilians. The regional governor, Yaroslav Yanushevych, said the authorities would maintain a curfew from 5pm to 8am and ban people from entering or leaving the city.

In Kharkiv region, two roadworkers were killed and four injured by a mine while trying to re-tarmac the road in a formerly occupied area.