Russian bombardment isn’t new to Mykolaiv, a southern Ukrainian city of about 500,000 people. This has been a key front since the start of the war, where the Ukrainian military has barred Russian forces from advancing west toward the key Black Sea port of Odessa.
But as the Russian military has withdrawn its troops from the Kyiv region in an apparent shift in strategy, people here fear that Moscow is preparing a new offensive to gain more ground in the south. Over the past week, there has been an increase in attacks during daylight, when civilian areas such as Victory Square are most crowded. Multiple hospitals have been hit. The head of the Mykolaiv district prosecutor’s office was detained Tuesday for allegedly passing sensitive information to Russian security services in exchange for his safety should the region fall to the invading forces.
A city that has been a symbol of Ukrainian resolve and defiance is suddenly on edge.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member