Killed by Russia: stories of five people who died as a result of the Kakhovka HPP explosion

With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the ABO Local Media Development Agency created the Memorial: Killed by Russia. The memorial commemorates the names of civilians and soldiers who died due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In collaboration with Memorial: Killed by Russia, Svidomi tells the story of the people who died due to the Kakhovka HPP explosion.

On June 7, 2023, 83-year-old Oleksii Klymenko drowned near his home in the temporarily occupied Hola Prystan, Kherson region. The water level in the town rose rapidly after the Russian military blew up the dam of the Kakhovka HPP. Oleksii's wife, Mariia Shcherbyna, also drowned nearby.

Oleksii Klymenko was originally from the village of Kardashynka, Holoprystan district. He finished school there. Before retirement, he worked as a locksmith. He loved fishing. 

"My grandfather was a kind, honest, decent man. He always came to the aid of others. I remember him as calm and hardworking. He was like a father figure to me," said granddaughter Viktoriia.

When the full-scale war started, Viktoriia and her three children evacuated from the Kherson region to western Ukraine. Her grandparents did not want to leave. Viktoriia's mother also stayed with them in Hola Prystan. When information began to spread about the threat of the Kakhovka HPP dam being blown up, the family did not expect such a severe flood to occur.

But the water level was rising rapidly. A neighbour who managed to get to the house roof saw Oleksii and Mariia drowning. They were screaming, asking for help. Only their daughter managed to survive.

Mariia Shcherbyna, 84, drowned on June 7, 2023, near her home in Hola Prystan. Her husband, Oleksii, also drowned along with her.

Mariia was a vineyard worker. After retirement, she cared for household chores and looked after a small farm nearby. 

"Grandma was a cheerful and generous person. They lived with my grandfather heart to heart. They enjoyed life and their three great-grandchildren," said Mariia Shcherbyna's granddaughter, Viktoriia.

Anatolii Korneiev, 79, drowned in his home on Berehova Street in Hola Prystan, Kherson region. 

Anatolii worked in Kherson - he repaired ships at a shipbuilding plant. In his youth, he was involved in boxing and took diving and shooting courses. 

When he retired, he returned to Hola Prystan. He loved fishing. He also did the housework. He had dogs, cats and chickens.

During the first days of the full-scale war, the Russian army occupied Hola Prystan, and he and his wife found themselves under occupation. In February 2023, Anatolii's wife died due to a lack of proper treatment and access to medicines.

On June 6, 2023, when Russian troops blew up the dam of the Kakhovka HPP, the family tried to contact Anatolii Korneiev. However, they heard only one word - "water".

Heorhii Sanin was 85 years old. He drowned on June 6, 2023, in Hola Prystan. 

He was born in the village of Krasne, Skadovsk district. After serving in the army, he married a girl from a neighbouring village, Zinaiida. Heorhii was a professional carpenter and worked as a driver. When he retired, he worked as a taxi driver. Together with his wife, he owned a greenhouse. 

After the full-scale invasion began, Zinaiida got sick. Due to the Russian occupation, she did not have proper access to medicine and died in the autumn of 2022. Seven months later, Heorhii died. The man had limited mobility and could not walk well, so escaping from the water was difficult. Heorhii's daughters stayed on the roof for several days until they managed to evacuate. 

"Grandpa told us about the horrors the locals had to endure during the occupation: constant explosions, shelling, people who disagreed were tortured, killed, and their cars stolen. Food prices rose as they were imported from Russia. People were forced to take Russian passports. The occupiers turned our beautiful tourist town into ruins," said Tetiana, the wife of Heorhii's grandson. 

On June 17, when the water fell, Heorhii's body was found near the house. "We quickly got the coffin and buried my grandfather before the curfew. It's good that we did because when 'those' [Russians] arrive, they collect the dead, load them up and take to Radensk, where they bury them in a common grave," says Tetiana.

Larysa Dreval was 88 years old. She drowned on June 7, 2023, in her home in Hola Prystan. 

Larysa was born in Mariupol, Donetsk region. She graduated from Kherson State Agrarian and Economic University. For over 20 years, she worked as the Head of a Chemical Laboratory at a melon growing station. She loved her family and her home, buried in flowers.

"My mum's house was cosy and always smelled of different delicacies. Her Ukrainian borshch, syrnyky, sauce and dumplings, which she cooked with cherries, strawberries, cottage cheese or potatoes, were unsurpassed. It was just a masterpiece!" says Larysa's daughter, Olha Yakovenko.

Recently, Larysa Dreval could hardly walk. Despite this, she was active and tried to cope on her own. 

"I used to take my mother to our blooming embankment in a wheelchair. She would talk to her friends there, watch people, and look at the sunset. And every time she would say: "How beautiful our Hola Prystan is!"," Olha said.

In her words, Larysa's neighbour tried to rescue her, but the Russian military did not allow them to do so. "She remained forever in her home, among her favourite things and photos, on her sofa. She was found only on the tenth day after the flood. This is unforgivable," said the victim's daughter.