“They risk their lives for ours”: how Antonivka, in the Kherson Region, lives at the enemy’s gunpoint

What is the problem?
"Today, there is a fight, but in general, it is possible to live here"

Since the beginning of the full-scale war in February 2022, Antonivka has been known for the Antonivskyi bridge, the same bridge that the Ukrainian military used to cut off the occupiers in Kherson from supplies from Russia. Now, the same bridge has become the frontier beyond which the occupation begins. Antonivka is now liberated from Russians, but it is one of the most heavily shelled areas of the region.

On the day when Rubryka visited, the town trembles with the sounds of battles. But that's how it is every day here.

"Today, that part of Antonivka was heavily shelled, but that's normal. The gas was turned off today because today there is a battle, but in general, it is possible to live here. There has been no electricity since November 6, but the people here are all used to it. Everyone has adapted," says Tetyana.

As we speak, she keeps a smile, and her voice is more confident than anyone else's. She was born in Antonivka and did not leave despite the occupation and constant shelling. Together with other locals, she meets volunteers twice a week, accepts cargo deliveries carrying humanitarian aid, and distributes it among those who need it.

The first category the volunteers assist is the bedridden and those with reduced mobility. Next come families with children. For so many months, the team has already established a routine of their work. "At first, it was a disaster, but now we have people stationed on every street. They feed the local animals and distribute humanitarian kits," says Tetyana.

When we ask the resident if she has a job here, Tetyana still smiles carelessly. But her words are in stark contrast to her smile: "I am unemployed. Russians burned down my cafe."

People living in Antonivka are either unemployed as well, or go to work in Kherson.

"Now everyone is so friendly that if you stand on the side of the road and scratch your head, someone will immediately stop and offer a ride," says Tetyana.

While talking with her and other locals, the sounds of strikes, departures, and, unexpectedly, lawnmowers can be heard from afar. Locals say that despite the proximity to the front line, they try to mow the grass and keep things clean in the town.

"Especially since we have children here – the youngest is now a little over a year old. People return because they don't have the funds to build a life from scratch somewhere in another city," Tetyana adds.

A few days after our conversation, 26 children and seven mothers were ordered to be evacuated from Antonivka and nearby Komyshany after a decision to vacate particularly dangerous areas in the region, Antonivka being one of them.

What is another problem?

When we ask the locals about the town's biggest needs, they unanimously agree it's medicine and adult diapers. A large part of those who remained were either bedridden or barely able to move.

"Hennadiyevna, our doctor, has written a big list of medicines," the residents say.

Together with the volunteers of the We-Khersonians business association, we are going to the local paramedic-midwifery center. Two nurses meet us. They have not left their workplace since the first day of the war — someone has to stay and help.

The doctors left because there were problems with their health. Therefore, only two nurses, an orderly and a junior nurse, stayed. People come for help, to measure blood pressure, distribute pills, and treat wounds. People often come with burns, scratches from debris, and animal bites. "Routine work," says Svitlana, one of the two nurses at the center.

Most of the medicines that are available are brought by volunteers. Since Antonivka was left without electricity, the hospital stopped issuing drugs to the center because it would not be able to report on their issuance through the electronic system.

"We are in dire need of anti-hypertensivity drugs. It is tough for us because the hospital does not give anything. Everything has to be prescribed online, and we don't have internet. We have no electricity, no internet, no communication, nothing. For every pill, I have to report through the system. And we cannot do this. That's why we keep a journal — we write everything down properly, but we don't report to anyone but to ourselves," explains the doctor.

While we are speaking, volunteers from We-Khersonians are unloading the brought dressing materials, the diapers for adults, and a certain supply of medicines near the center. They and several other organizations are the only support of the center.

"We get away with what volunteers bring us. God bless them. These people have been risking their lives for our lives throughout the war. After the liberation, it was the volunteers who brought us the medicine. And they still bring it. We will always be grateful to them for that," says Svitlana.

What is the solution?

Before the war, Svitlana Bilobrova was already well-known among Kherson residents. She was an activist and organized the local GogolFest, participated in the creation of an art space on the territory of a former factory. Although cultural projects in the Kherson region are not a priority, the war did not take away the activist part of Bilobrova's life.

Billobrova is part of the business association We-Khersonians. Together with her colleagues, she not only develops a routine that helps make aid to the Kherson region more systematic and effective, but also carries humanitarian aid herself.

"The main goal of our project is to connect volunteers, the administration, and everyone we have for the sake of helping people. Because there are situations when everyone helps in one area at once, and someone does not receive something in another. Therefore, communication between everyone is one of the main issues we are trying to solve. In particular, in addition to humanitarian supplies, we provide legal advice to people who lost their homes due to the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. We are trying to ensure that people receive at least the minimum they deserve," explains Bilobrova.

Currently, with the support of the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation, the business association is helping the residents of the Antonivska community to prepare for winter and is looking for opportunities to cover humanitarian needs. In particular, it brings burners, food kits, hygiene products, and the already-mentioned medicines to Antonivka. The organization's lawyer helps people whose houses were flooded by the Russians. The next step in the plan is to supply local villagers. The peculiarity of We-Khersonians is that they coordinate their actions with other volunteer organizations and local authorities.

"Thanks to our partners, Antonivka is holding on," says Serhii Ivashchenko, the headman of the Antonivka district. "I think that thanks to the volunteers, our residents will be warm this winter."

The headman says that, unfortunately, despite the shelling, more and more people are returning to Antonivka.

"One of the main reasons, according to them, is that they did not find themselves elsewhere, and it is difficult for them in a foreign country. They want to return home and do something here. So they come and stay. Thanks to Bilobrova and her colleagues, these people receive help and can somehow live here," Ivashchenko explains.

Nevertheless, he and the volunteers constantly seek ways to persuade the Antonivka residents to leave. Ivashchenko says that approximately 60% of the houses in the village have been destroyed, and the destruction is increasing every day. Bilobrova adds that her organization is already preparing additional shelters for those who decide not to spend the winter in Antonivka. These people will be helped with evacuation and provided with everything they might need at first.

Both Ivashchenko and Bilobrova expect that a significant part of people will stay. They have survived one winter here without electricity and heating, and still do not want to leave their homes. So now, We-Khersonians, with the support of the EU, are working to make the lives of these people as safe as possible. About 80 families in the community receive comprehensive assistance from the organization, and at least 20 will receive everything they need to heat their homes.