Escape from Kherson: a dangerous journey

The southeast Ukrainian port city of Kherson was the only city the Russians managed to take at the beginning of the war.
This territory has been under Russian occupation the longest since the invasion on February 24. In the first few days, Kherson’s citizens took to the street to protest against the occupiers, taking Russian soldiers by surprise, because they expected to be welcomed with open arms.
Four months later, street protest is met with harsh repression, although citizens still find subtle ways to protest. Life is hard with few resources for the people who live there. Some people manage to escape the city, although the journey out is often extremely dangerous.
In Odesa we met an elderly couple who had fled Kherson. They didn’t want to at first, because it was too dangerous. After the husband got a stroke and couldn’t get the medical care he needed, they decided to take the risk and go.
This is their story.