<figure id="attachment_242777" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 955px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-242777"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="a9b17446"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/05/60db257e30b768bbcc3a4e2252267339.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-242777" class="wp-caption-text">Russian military forces set the stage for Victory Day against Germany on May 9. Military vehicles are marked with the symbolic letter &#8220;Z&#8221; (Image: photo by Lijenko, same below)</figcaption></figure>
Herson, southern Ukraine&#8211;.
On May 6, Andrei Turchak, the first deputy speaker of the Senate and a close ally of President Putin, visited the city and announced that &#8220;Russia will stay forever. stay forever,&#8221; he announced. He stated that the city was providing food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid and had the support of the local people. But the truth seems to be different.
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 There are places in Hellesund where the Russian flag is flying,&#8221; he said. But there does not appear to be a referendum being prepared for the establishment of the &#8216;People&#8217;s Republic of Herson&#8217; (a Russian puppet government). Russian troops are not welcome.
Konstantin Lijenko, a member of the International Federation of Journalists, who lives in Herson, said that the Russian military is not welcome in the region. Lijenko frequently reports on the Russian military&#8217;s attacks on civilians to the world via social networking sites. Whenever he is not heard from again, articles are published claiming that he may have been kidnapped. For the interview with FRIDAY Digital, the telephone and Internet connections in the entire Herson area were completely cut off, but he was able to move to a location where Wi-Fi was barely available and speak with us.
The following is Mr. Lijenko&#8217;s description of the real situation in the occupied territories.
 The Russians have been in control of Helleson for two months now. There is no medicine, no food, and almost all the stores are closed. There is nothing left. All that is there are foodstuffs brought in from the Russian-occupied Crimea. But Russian-made goods are expensive and hard to come by. Before that, no one wants to buy Russian products. &#8230;&#8230;
<h2>Helson is soulless.&#8221;</h2>
<figure id="attachment_242778" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1080px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-242778"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e910a29d"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/05/756dcf0a63c492ad84f259b2533b5e3c.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-242778" class="wp-caption-text">Russian street vendor from Crimea</figcaption></figure>
There are checkpoints throughout the city, he said, and residents are not allowed to come and go as they please.
 Russian soldiers roam the streets, always keeping an eye on the residents. Even in the center of town, there are hardly any people, and Helson feels as if his soul has been drained from him.
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In the schools, there is a move to forcibly change the curriculum guidelines for Russia, he said. Teachers ended classes at the end of the school year earlier than usual to prevent the introduction. Now it&#8217;s a long break.
 There have been reports that the currency will be changed to the Russian ruble, but the actual change has not yet taken place (as of May 8). Nor is there any movement to establish a Russian-affiliated country.&#8221;
He is probably trying to curry favor with the residents. The strange behavior of the Russian military with regard to the food situation has caught the attention of the residents.
 The volunteer center I run provides hot meals every day with donations, and we make 100 to 150 liters of soup, which is eaten by 200 to 400 residents,&#8221; he said. We also provide 100 to 150 bags filled with food every day.
 Lately, something strange has been happening. A Russian military aid truck from Crimea has started to park and distribute supplies very close to our volunteer center, probably to compete with ours. At first they were about 100 meters away, but now they are parked right in front of the volunteer center. It&#8217;s strange behavior.&#8221;
The Russian military is probably trying to gradually &#8220;Russify&#8221; Helleson by incorporating the residents. Lijenko&#8217;s lament is deep.
 Even if the city is destroyed by bombing,&#8221; he said, &#8220;things can be rebuilt. I am afraid that the people will be able to rebuild their homes. What I fear is that the Russians will destroy the wonderful memories of their childhood in Herson, which are in the hearts of the residents. I spend every day with fear in my heart.&#8221;
<figure id="attachment_242779" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 640px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-242779"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="07fbfe02"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/05/29e2941714b839f51d9da0ef2ce4bcd8.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-242779" class="wp-caption-text">Activities at the volunteer center</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_242780" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 923px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-242780"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="24d955a0"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/05/76e4932729d905a6eafb010405476dbd.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-242780" class="wp-caption-text">A Russian military supply distribution truck</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_242781" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 530px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-242781"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="eda35c4f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/05/b4b0fb81234e4fa3afdcdefcdee4e5a0.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-242781" class="wp-caption-text">Russian flag on Helson as well &#8230;&#8230;</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_242782" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 912px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-242782"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="dbb98185"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/05/22ea0c42b76208b29049925bbbb3b176.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-242782" class="wp-caption-text">Vendor from Crimea</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_242783" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 960px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-242783"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="77db514c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/05/7eae7c216cf5492954ceda209ba472c9.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-242783" class="wp-caption-text">Destroyed and closed market</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_242784" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1280px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-242784"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="4ce781a9"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/05/293dc5f4dbcbb0d6665bc6fad7a0d929.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-242784" class="wp-caption-text">Long line in front of ATM</figcaption></figure>

 Mr. Lijenko

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