In Kherson, after the blackout caused by massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, electricity supply is gradually being restored, but the situation remains unstable.
Not all buildings are connected to the power grid. The situation is especially difficult in multi-storey buildings with electric stoves — due to the lack of electricity, residents do not even have the ability to heat food. In addition, many buildings still lack water and heating.
“When there is no power, we are like without hands: we can’t cook, warm up, or even boil a kettle — nothing,” a local resident told MOST.
In response to the situation, condominium associations (OSBB) appealed to the Kherson City Military Administration, after which delivery of hot meals was organized with the support of charitable organizations. The Kherson City Military Administration also ordered food directly.
MOST reporters visited the hot meal distribution points and showed how assistance to the city’s residents is currently organized.
“We cooperate with the authorities. We are given lists of addresses where hot food is needed because people do not have gas stoves — only electric ones. After the blackout they cannot cook, so we support them,” said Yuliia Konovalova, regional leader of World Central Kitchen in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.
Volunteers come to help Kherson residents daily. According to them, when a request comes in, the team supports buildings that lack basic utilities. The organization has been cooperating with the city authorities since 2022.
After the blackout the load on volunteers increased significantly, with about 700 additional portions added. In total, the team provides hot meals to 1,300–1,400 people, and roughly another 700 residents were added to the lists after the emergency power outage.
“As they say, there is no bad weather — we are just not dressed for it. There is no heating in my apartment; this morning it was below 15 degrees. Acquaintances helped, gave a small stove that uses gas canisters, I can brew tea or coffee. And today we also received meals. Many thanks,” shared a local resident
The Kherson City Military Administration collects information from condominium associations regarding the number of apartments and residents and passes this data on to volunteers.
“They give us lists… how many apartments and how many people, and accordingly we organize the food,” say World Central Kitchen.
The Kherson CMA itself distributes the meals that arrived from Ukrzaliznytsia’s “Food Train.” From Odesa, 1,500 portions of such sets have been delivered so far.
“In total, in Kherson there are about 5,000 people who need such assistance. Some buildings declined because power is slowly returning, and they said it is not needed. Today we contacted all the heads of OSBB by phone and offered such assistance. It will definitely be delivered to everyone who agreed,” said Victoria Romalska, head of the Department of Interaction and Operational Response of the Kherson CMA.
Note that 25 “Points of Invincibility” are operating in Kherson. To get information about the location of the nearest such point, you should call the “hotline”: 0800-101-102 or 0800-330-951. They will tell you where it is best to go so that a person spends as little time as possible on the streets of the shelled city.
About how “Points of Invincibility” are operating in Kherson these days in our material: