Russians accused of shooting at Ukrainian residents being evacuated from flooded homes

Ukrainians in flood-devastated Kherson are urging the world to intervene, accusing Russians of shelling and shooting residents while they are being evacuated from their submerged homes.

Shelling has continued every day since the Kakhovka dam broke early Tuesday morning, Irina Alexandrovna, a dog shelter operator in Kherson, said in a video interview Thursday.

“The constant shelling is very scary. We can’t sleep. And there are few safe places to hide now with all the water.”

Loud artillery blasts shuddered behind Irina’s voice at 6 p.m. local time on a video sent to the Star from her home on the western bank of the Dnipro river.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German Bild newspaper that Russians have been shooting at rescuers in flooded areas of the eastern bank of river that remains under Russian occupation following the dam collapse.

Ukrainians on the submerged eastern bank are facing an even greater catastrophe than those on the Ukrainian side, according to Associated Press reports. The Russians pulled out of the flooded east riverbank on Tuesday without extending help to residents, the report said.

“People, animals have died. From the roofs of the flooded houses, people can see drowned people drifting by,” Zelenskyy told Bild.

“When our forces try to get them (the residents) out, they (the rescuers) are shot at by occupiers from a distance,” Zelenskyy said.

“As soon as our helpers try to rescue them, they are shot at. We won’t be able to see all the consequences until a few days from now, when the water has receded.”

Videos provided by 43-year-old Alexandrovna and her neighbours show submerged homes and streets, with just the tops of many buildings showing.

Most residents on Kherson’s western bank had time to flee to safety as the water flowed in gradually, Alexandrovna said.

“But the Russians are not letting people evacuate” to shelters or areas with clean water, she said. “People have to hide where they can.”

Ukraine is reporting that at least eight people have been wounded following Russian shelling of Kherson on Thursday.

“The shelling began precisely during the evacuation of citizens whose homes were flooded,” Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Visiting Kherson on Thursday, Zelenskyy appealed for humanitarian assistance from the international community and accused Russia of putting civilian lives at risk.

“Russia must be held accountable for everything it does against life and people,” Zelenskyy said in a tweet.

Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up the dam, which was controlled by Russian forces, while Russia says it was bombed by Ukraine. The Associated Press reports that officials on both sides said least 14 people were killed in the flooding, thousands are homeless and tens of thousands are without drinking water, apart from major damage to agricultural land.

Despite the devastation, Alexandrovna said she has no plans to leave Kherson. She will stay to care for her dogs and her elderly neighbours who depend on her, she said.

About 30 large dogs that Alexandrovna has been caring for since the early days of the war were evacuated from the flooding by humanitarian teams.

“The water is still two metres high where they were living,” she said.

At least one dog was severely wounded by debris during the escape, Alexandrovna said. About 20 smaller dogs in Alexandrovna’s care are safe and dry. But she worries about how long she can keep them alive as the shelling continues.

“I pray we will survive all this horror,” she said. “Please, please help us.

“My soul hurts seeing everything floating in the water.”