MYKOLAIV – Days into Russia’s all-out war, the regional capital of Mykolaiv became a bastion of Ukraine’s southern defenses.
After Russia rapidly occupied Kherson in late February, Mykolaiv immediately became its next target. Their forces shelled, bombed and fired missiles at the regional capital, trying to encircle the city of half a million people.
By the end of March, however, Ukraine’s Armed Forces had pushed Russian troops back to the border with Kherson Oblast. The only occupied city in Mykolaiv Oblast is now Snihurivka, 70 kilometers east of the capital.
Even though Russian forces were thrown back from Mykolaiv, life there has yet to return to normal.
The shelling continues, major businesses are shut down, and the ports aren’t operational due to Russia’s Black Sea blockade.
Worse yet, the city’s water pipeline has been damaged, leaving Mykolaiv without running water for over a month.
‘Water is now priceless’
Twice a day, residents of Mykolaiv line up next to trucks that bring drinking water to the city.
In mid-April, Russian troops blew up the Dnipro-Mykolaiv water pipeline. It was impossible to repair, as the damaged area was under Russian control.
For about a month, locals collected water from storm drains and rivers, but it was unsuitable for drinking.
A man with a bucket steps into the Dnipro–Bug estuary to collect some water in Mykolaiv on April 28, 2022. (Oleksandr Gimanov)
An elderly couple with buckets collect water from the Dnipro–Bug estuary in Mykolaiv on April 28, 2022. (Oleksandr Gimanov)
Odesa residents came to the rescue. They began bringing tons of drinking water to volunteer centers across the city. From there, it’s delivered to Mykolaiv.
“On behalf of the residents of Mykolaiv, I would like to say thank you to the people of Odesa. This is an expression of humanity,” Oleksandr, a local resident who did not want to reveal his last name, told the Kyiv Independent. Locals in war-affected areas are often reluctant to give their full names for security reasons.
Odesa helps a great deal, agreed Dmytro Davydenko, a coordinator at the largest volunteer center in Mykolaiv.
Dmytro Davydenko, a ship pilot turned volunteer poses in front of the volunteer center he coordinates in Mykolaiv on April 28, 2022. (Oleksandr Gimanov)
“Volunteers based at the Odesa Food Market started helping us recently, but very actively,” Davydenko said.
“Once they brought a truck with 12 tons of water. This is priceless. The centralized supply of water has been cut off, it’s a humanitarian catastrophe for a city of half a million people,” he said.
By mid-May, local authorities managed to partially restore centralized water utilities. However, this water comes from Dnipro–Bug estuary and, despite filtration, cannot be used for drinking or cooking. It’s also only available for a couple of hours, twice a day.
Thus trucks keep bringing drinking water to the city.
The city is now working on improving filtration and digging new wells – Mykolaiv has dug at least 14 since the start of the war – and building up reserves for the future.
Black Sea blockade
Russia’s war has caused Mykolaiv to suffer in many ways.
As a port city on the Black Sea, Mykolaiv must deal with both heavy bombardment and Russia’s blockade, which has left many locals without work and caused an international food shortage.
UN World Food Program Head David Beasley warned about possible famine in countries that have been cut off from Ukrainian exports they rely on.
“Millions of people around the world will die because these ports are being blocked,” he said in early May.
Ukraine is one of the world’s largest grain exporters. Since the farmers are now unable to ship grain abroad, they face another challenge — finding a place to store it.
“Farmers now build new warehouses. This is the right thing to do as they need some time to restore logistics,” Vitaliy Kim, governor of Mykolaiv Oblast, said during a briefing on May 14, emphasizing that his main goal is to resume operations at the ports.
“I really want to find ways to provide logistics for the export of grain that we have in the short-term,” he went on.
People repair windows in their apartment a couple of days after a Russian missile exploded in the yard
of their high rise building in Mykolaiv on April 23, 2022. (Oleksandr Gimanov)
A building is seen a couple of days after a Russian missile exploded in the yard of high rise building
in Mykolaiv on April 23, 2022. (Oleksandr Gimanov)
A building destroyed by a Russial bombardment is seen in Mykolaiv on April 28, 2022. (Oleksandr Gimanov)
Russia’s Black Sea blockade affects not just farmers but sailors like Vyacheslav Lutskov. In his 20 years of sailing, he visited every corner of the world except Australia, he said. Now, he is stuck in Mykolaiv, jobless.
“I have not been able to work on a ship for three months already,” he said.
“I saw the world and traveled across Europe. I would be very happy if everything ends with us winning.”
Staying to help
Despite these hardships and constant Russian attacks, many people see purpose in staying in Mykolaiv. They are willing to go the extra mile to help others.
The sailor, Lutskov, helps his friend’s sick father. Every couple of days, he brings him water from the river.
to his home in Mykolaiv on April 28, 2022. (Oleksandr Gimanov)
Iryna Kyropyatnik, a photographer turned volunteer poses at her workplace, a stockroom of children’s goods,