ON A LARGE SCALE: Women Affected by Russian Artillery Shelling in Kherson and Surrounding Regions
In the furious days of military conflicts when the peaceful life of Ukrainians becomes increasingly fragile, Russian occupiers continue to deliberately strike populated areas, causing significant destruction and human tragedies. On May 12, a new wave of destruction and injuries occurred in the Korabelny district of Kherson due to a powerful artillery shelling, leaving behind traces of both material damage and human suffering. According to official data from the Dnipro Regional Military Administration, citing Head of OVA Oleksandr Prokudin, this attack resulted in serious injuries to several civilians, including two women. During the shelling, a 76-year-old resident of the area sustained severe injuries: blast trauma, traumatic brain injury, concussion, shrapnel wounds to the back and thigh — doctors had to urgently hospitalize her. Another victim was a 57-year-old woman from the city, who sustained a mine-explosion injury and a broken arm. Medical personnel provided first aid, and further treatment will be conducted outpatient. The manual destructive device—artillery—also caused damage to private property. A multi-story building suffered significant destruction: broken windows, destroyed balconies, and part of the infrastructure of the residential complex. The consequences of the shelling significantly disrupted the lives of local residents, creating additional burdens for appropriate services and increasing tension in the region. This tragic incident took place amid a worsening situation in the region. Just a day earlier, on May 11, Russian troops carried out attacks on the village of Pavlivka in Zaporizhzhia region — twice in one day, resulting in serious injuries to two women aged 75 and 56. The shelling can be viewed as a continuation of tactics of terror and intimidation against the Ukrainian population, vividly demonstrating the ruthlessness and purposefulness of the occupying forces. Overall, the situation in Ukraine’s southern and eastern regions remains tense and tragic. Local communities, accustomed to constant threats, continue to find strength and resilience to resist and survive under difficult conditions. Ukrainian authorities and volunteers are uniting efforts to provide necessary assistance to those affected and to restore the destroyed infrastructure, but daily shellings and destruction serve as a reminder to all of the prolonged and complex struggle to restore peace and security. This is not just statistics or military reports — these are real stories of people who, in their daily lives, face the brutality of war. Vandalism and violence leave scars not only on buildings and their facades but also in the hearts of residents, who must overcome pain and loss to continue living, hoping, and fighting for their future.