This girl decided to remain anonymous so as not to harm Nadezhda’s friend, who now lives in Kherson. Because she secretly from the Russian occupiers tells her the whole truth about life in this city now. If, of course, it can be called a full life.

I live in Odessa. We met Nadezhda on social networks. Communicated for a long time, as is the case with online friends. Of course, we met, because virtual communication is not equal to the real thing. When you can watch a person’s facial expressions, gestures. Take a walk in the park not with a phone in hand, but with a real person nearby. So we started planning our meeting. It didn’t matter whether I came to Kherson to visit her or she came to Odessa.

Photo-screens of correspondence with a friend

However, everything went against our plans. A full-scale war broke out in the country and we never met. I hope so for now. But we still keep in touch on social media. Nadia has two telephones: one for communication with friends, the other – empty, for inspection by the occupiers. But about this later.

The situation with funds is critical. There is no possibility to withdraw cash. Reminiscent of the 90s

Nadia stayed in Kherson with her mother. Theirs: the daughter-in-law of the children left the city about two weeks ago. Local volunteers helped them evacuate. The friend categorically did not want to leave the house. She lives on the outskirts of the city, so it is not always possible to go to the center. Because of this, she did not take part in the rally, but she was the last to go there in front of him. Even then, she said that she saw “riots” and decided to go home for safety. It was about a month ago, now the situation in the city is too tense.

Just yesterday we called her. Nadia said that the situation with funds in Kherson is critical. Nobody has the opportunity to withdraw cash, because ATMs are empty. He says it’s like they’re back in the nineties or zero, when there were bastards and you had to know who to contact.

She recently went to the market to check out such a special operation. She transferred so you guys money through the mobile app, he gave her cash. Now Nadia had to buy food or medicine. And she needs medicine a lot, because her mother needs painkillers. And the trouble with this: they are difficult to find, and if you still succeed, the price is sky-high. A record of ordinary “Citramon” costs about a hundred hryvnias.

Nadia could not wander around the city for a long time and returned home. Because he says it’s dangerous to go with money. In general, the occupiers everywhere with machine guns: in shops, markets, just on the streets of his hometown. I did not think that I would ever be afraid to walk the familiar paths.

Russian “audits”

Russians can check absolutely everything for Ukrainians. And with this you need to be extremely careful. Recently, they visited Nadia’s neighbors and checked their phones. According to them, they are looking for “Nazis and ATO members.” It is not known on what principle they choose the houses they come to with their so-called audit. But Nadia now has a spare phone just in case.

In short, this is the strategy of the citizens. That in which case to give prepared, empty. And the one who keeps in touch with family and friends is told the whole truth – to hide. Prepared so that only calls do not work, it is completely non-functional.

She has been telling me this story ever since the connection began. He says he has food, water and more. They are not hungry. Just the prices are yellow. It is difficult to find food for cats and dogs. It is gratifying that people are not being shot at in the city and there. But they are firing from there on other Ukrainian regions. It’s scary to imagine being right there, at the epicenter of enemy targets. It is unknown at this time what the situation will be and what will happen to the occupation.