A long line of cars filled with terrified civilians took second BBC the last few days crawled out of Kherson, which was hit by a fierce Russian attack on Christmas Eve.
While there were scenes of jubilation in the city last month, from which Russian forces withdrew on Nov. 11, residents received a dramatic reminder over the Christmas weekend that the war is not over.
Attack on Christmas Eve
Large Russian forces are on the east side of the Dnipro River, and on Christmas Eve eleven people were killed and many injured when more than 40 shells hit central Kherson, according to local authorities.
Dnipro has now become the front line in the war for eastern Ukraine and Kherson has come under repeated attack after the Russian withdrawal.
Several thousand people are still in the city, but recently the authorities have repeatedly called for evacuations.
Among those now heeding the call are Elena and her three daughters.
I can not handle it anymore
– I love Ukraine and my dear city, but now we have to leave it, Elena says as she sets off on a train out of the city. The evacuation was organized by the Ukrainian authorities.
– Before, they attacked us seven to ten times a day, but now it happens 70-80 times a day. It’s too scary, he says.
Iryna Antonenko and her family fled Kherson by car.
– We can’t take it anymore, the attacks are so intense. We lived here all the time and thought it would calm down and we would get lucky with us. But the house next door was hit by a seizure, and my father’s house was hit too, she tearfully tells the BBC.
