Villagers in Pravdyne speak of relief

Ukrainians in the village of Pravdyne, near Kherson, have spoken to AFP of their relief after the Russian retreat.

After enduring more than eight months of Russian occupation, Svitlana Galak said she cried “tears of happiness” when Ukrainian soldiers arrived to liberate them, Qazet.az reports according to AFP.

“I don’t know when the Russians arrived, but I only know one thing - that yesterday, or the day before yesterday, I saw a Ukrainian soldier and I was relieved,” the 43-year-old told AFP. “I had tears of happiness, that finally Ukraine is liberated,” she said.

Galak is one of about 180 residents of Pravdyne, a small village, about 50 kilometres northwest of the city of Kherson, that had some 1,000 residents before the war.

Kyiv’s recapture of swathes of the southern region, which serves as a gateway to the Black Sea, was also a bittersweet moment for Galak - her eldest daughter had been killed in a bombing raid on the village.

“I will tell you honestly, I was not happy that Russians were here, and my child died. It is hard for me,” she said.

Her husband Viktor spoke of mistreatment under some of the soldiers, like when he was once stopped when he went to a different part of Pravdyne to visit his mother. “The Russians stopped us and forced us to kneel,” the 44-year-old told AFP.

He then told them that his daughter had already been killed and asked them: “Why do you want to put a grenade under me? Do you want to kill us all or what? What is your aim? Are you fascists?” he recounted. Luckily, before he could be interrogated, another soldier recognised Viktor and he was released.

“We were happy when we saw Ukrainian soldiers, because we are Ukrainians,” he said, adding that the occupation was also difficult due to the lack of food.