Russia has launched a new bid to exert control over the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson by threatening key access roads with its drones and trying to split it in two by striking a vital bridge.
On Sunday, a wave of airstrikes damaged a key bridge between Khersons island, Korabel, and the main city, sparking a widespread effort to evacuate the estimated 1,800 Ukrainian civilians who still live there. Russian forces appear not to have targeted the evacuation effort over the past three days, according to locals and rescuers, a rare moment of respite from the daily barbaric drone strikes on civilians across the city of recent months. Later Wednesday, videos posted online showed significant Russian strikes had resumed near the bridge and on the island, where some Ukrainain military are also thought to be based.
Russian military bloggers have also warned Kherson residents the main access road to the city, from the north, would now be targeted by longer-range drones. It was unclear how impactful the threats had been Wednesday when CNN witnessed traveling along the road significant freight and civilian traffic, including a large group of cyclists, at times protected by netting hung above the asphalt to block drones.
The capture of Kherson city and region C seized in the opening days of the war and then freed by a swift Ukrainian counter-offensive in November 2022 C remains one of Russian President Vladimir Putins main goals for the conflict , and the renewed pressure to separate Korabel from the rest of the city has raised concerns Russian forces might seek to bombard and then land upon the flat terrain in the weeks ahead.
Evacuations from Korabel continued Wednesday, with rescuers telling CNN of calm when they collected some of the 925 people removed by the end of the day from the island. Shelling continued apace on the peninsula, locals reported, but drones appeared to leave the evacuation convoys alone. Exhausted locals wept both relief and anxiety for their future when they reached an aid point.
Nadiya, sat in the back of the armored van that whisked her out, said: They are hitting so hard since the morning. When is all of this going to be over? We already went crazy from all of this. When will they ever come to their senses? Causing such horror, killing everyone for the peace? She said drones had been whizzing that day, but not reached her area. We are already tired of this. When Trump is going to come, or someone we dont deserve such old age year as we have here. She said she had heard of the deadline set by US President Donald Trump for a peace deal with Russia, but it had changed nothing for her.
Most of the elderly evacuees had been promised lodging elsewhere in the city, but had few other options. Nina, 85, was exhausted in the 35 degree Celsius (95 degree Fahrenheit) heat, grasping her crutch, already separated from her bags by rescuers. There is no plan, I will live where they put me, she said. I am on one leg. I am so tired of this shooting that my nerves cant take it anymore.
Local Ukrainian officials stressed any Russian pause in drone attacks on the evacuation convoy paled into insignificance after months of repeated strikes on civilian targets.
They absolutely do not care what the targets are, said Yaroslav Shanko, head of Kherson city military administration. Talking about any humanity from the Russians is absolutely pointless. Strikes on the community and the city are constant.
Civilians are regularly hunted by Russian drones, whose operators flaunt their ruthless strikes in online posts. Khersons main hospital contained 25 patients from shelling or drone injuries, three new that morning and another two that afternoon, according to health workers there.
Oleh, 62, was hit at 4 a.m. Wednesday when he ran outside to help after a drone strike set fire to his neighbors home. Then another double-tap drone attacked. He fell backwards over a fence, but his legs dangled over its top, protecting his torso and not his legs. Ankle bandages hid the shrapnel damage to his feet.
Its dangerous there, you have to listen carefully, Oleh said of detecting drones. A double tap. Thats how they operate. They destroy a house, it burns. A minute later, another one comes, checking whether the house is burning or someone is trying to extinguish it. And then they kill and destroy further.
Oleh is one of many patients who live alone and cannot quickly be released from hospital as he is unable to walk, swelling occupancy on the ward. Three drones hovered over the facility during CNNs visit, according to local officials. The crackle of gunfire and the buzz of their engines carried through the hospitals window netting.
俄罗斯发起新一轮行动，试图通过无人机威胁关键通道并袭击重要桥梁将赫尔松市一分为二，从而控制这座乌克兰南部城市。
周日，一波空袭摧毁了赫尔松市科拉贝尔岛与主城区之间的关键桥梁，促使当地紧急疏散仍滞留于此的约1800名乌克兰平民。据居民和救援人员称，过去三天俄军似乎未针对疏散行动发动攻击，这为近月来饱受野蛮无人机袭击的市民提供了难得的喘息之机。然而周三晚些时候，网络视频显示俄军已恢复对桥梁周边及科拉贝尔岛的大规模打击——该岛据信还驻扎着部分乌克兰军队。
俄罗斯军事博主还警告赫尔松居民，通往该市的主要北部通道现已成为远程无人机的攻击目标。但周三CNN记者实地观察时发现，这条道路上仍有大量货运和民用车辆通行，包括一大队自行车骑行者，部分路段上方悬挂着用于拦截无人机的防护网，威胁的实际影响尚不明确。
赫尔松市及周边地区在战争初期被俄方占领，后于2022年11月被乌克兰快速反攻收复，至今仍是俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京在此次冲突中的主要目标。近期俄军试图将科拉贝尔区与城市其他区域割裂的施压行动引发担忧，外界推测其可能在未来数周内对该平坦地形实施轰炸后实施登陆作战。
周三，科拉贝尔的撤离行动仍在继续。救援人员向CNN表示，当天他们接走了岛上925名撤离人员中的部分人，整个过程较为平静。当地居民报告称，半岛上的炮击仍在持续，但无人机似乎并未干扰撤离车队。精疲力竭的居民抵达援助点时，既因脱险而流泪，又为未来感到焦虑。
娜迪娅坐在护送她撤离的装甲车后座说道：'他们从早上就开始猛烈攻击。这一切什么时候才能结束？我们已经被逼疯了。他们何时才能醒悟？制造这样的恐怖，为了所谓的‘和平’杀害所有人？'她表示当天无人机'嗡嗡作响'，但尚未波及她所在的区域。'我们已经厌倦了这一切。特朗普或其他什么人何时才会来——我们不该在这样的晚年遭受这种境遇。'她提到自己听说过美国总统唐纳德·特朗普设定的与俄罗斯达成和平协议的期限，但这并未改变她的处境。
大多数老年撤离者被承诺安置在城内其他地方，但他们几乎没有其他选择。85岁的尼娜在35摄氏度（95华氏度）的高温中精疲力竭，紧握拐杖，救援人员已将她与行李分开。"没有计划，他们把我安置在哪我就住哪，"她说。"我只有一条腿能走路。这些枪声让我疲惫不堪，我的神经已经承受不住了。"
乌克兰地方官员强调，俄方对撤离车队无人机袭击的短暂停歇无足轻重，因数月来其对民用目标的反复袭击已造成深重伤害。
赫尔松市军事行政长官亚罗斯拉夫·尚科表示：“他们根本不在乎袭击目标是什么。谈论俄方的人性化行为毫无意义。对社区和城市的打击持续不断。”
俄罗斯无人机频繁袭击平民，其操作员还在网络帖文中炫耀这些无情打击。据当地医护人员称，赫尔松主要医院收治了25名因炮击或无人机袭击受伤的患者，其中当天上午新增3例，下午又新增2例。
62岁的奥列赫在周三凌晨4点遭遇袭击。当时邻居的房屋因无人机袭击起火，他跑出去帮忙，随后又遭到第二波无人机“双发连击”。他向后摔过一道围栏，双腿悬在栏杆顶部，躯干因此得到保护，但双腿未能幸免。脚踝处的绷带遮盖了弹片对他双脚造成的伤害。
奥列赫在谈及无人机侦察时说道：“那里很危险，你必须仔细听。‘双重打击’——这是他们的行动模式。他们炸毁一栋房屋，让它燃烧。一分钟后，另一架无人机飞来，检查房屋是否在燃烧，或者是否有人试图灭火。接着，他们会继续杀戮和破坏。”
奥列格是众多独居患者中的一员，由于无法行走而无法迅速出院，导致病房占用率上升。据当地官员称，美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）到访期间，有三架无人机在设施上空盘旋。枪声的噼啪声和无人机引擎的嗡嗡声透过医院的纱窗传来。
