Kherson

As the war grinds on, Ukraine struggles with the punishment of collaborators in occupied territories. Some are plainly considered as traitors who actively helped the Russian enemy. Others just continued earning their bread.Jurists, parliamentarians and human rights activists hotly debate the law on collaboration.

On the 6th of June, the day of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, journalist Igor Burdyga arrived in Kherson. He returned to his hometown to document the devastating effects of the Dnipro's rising waters flooding the city. Burdyga’s firsthand account of the weeks that followed shows how, despite ruined homes, waist-high floods, and food shortages, Kherson’s residents are still finding reasons to smile.

Now it is clear that the Russian army is not able to wage an offensive war for lack of ammunition and sophisticated troops, the Russians change tactics. According to ex-diplomat Vladimir Frolov in an article for Carnegie Politika the idea is to buy time till spring and use evacuated Kherson as fortification and protection of free access to Crimea.

Once again the Kremlin has miscalculated in the war against Ukraine. The Russians were confident that they would conquer the whole of Donbass this summer and organise 'referenda' in the southern cities of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. But the offensive has grinded to a halt. Russia might have to postpone the annexation once again.