Former Kherson MP describes residents' attitude towards both states in occupied Oleshky

Feelings of betrayal and anger among returnees

Former Kherson City Council MP Yuriy Pohrebnii shared his observations after speaking with former neighbours from the city of Oleshky who had been evacuated to Ukrainian-controlled territory. According to him, the majority of men of conscription age from this settlement did not evacuate to Ukrainian-controlled territory. Meanwhile, those residents who did return to Ukraine are displaying a pronounced negative reaction to the actions of the Ukrainian authorities and the military.

Pohrebnii described these people as "completely broken and embittered". He noted that they are not inclined towards sympathy for either Russia or Ukraine. The main reason for this attitude is the residents' conviction that the Ukrainian authorities betrayed them in February 2022, did not save them during the flood in June 2023, and that their homes were shelled by Ukrainian forces from the right bank of the Dnipro for four years.

Criticism of the president and military actions

"They do not love Russia, but they do not love Ukraine either, because they believe that the Ukrainian authorities betrayed and abandoned them in February 2022, did not save them during the flood in June 2023, and for four years 'their own Ukrainian Armed Forces' shelled them from the right bank. What they say about Zelenskyy is simply not for Facebook," Pohrebnii emphasised.

The MP also added that irritability towards the word "victory" is observed among the returned residents. He confirmed information that the vast majority of evacuees chose to move to Ukraine rather than Russia.

Reasons for choosing the direction of evacuation

"There are various reasons for this: young women mostly intend to leave with their children for Europe, while pensioners go to their children, if they are alive and have a roof over their heads," Yuriy Pohrebnii explained.