​Russian journalist and photographer Victoria Ivleva is among the volunteers who are helping to save people in Ukraine who were affected by the flood due to the breach of the Novaya Kakhovka dam. She gave an interview to HotNews.ro, in which she told what prompted her to come to Kherson and the situation there.

A citizen of the Russian Federation, who lives in Moscow, is with Ukrainians in Kherson, affected by severe flooding due to the breach of the Novaya Kakhovka dam.

We are talking about Victoria Ivleva, a photographer and former journalist of the Russian newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”, who decided to become a volunteer immediately after learning that dozens of settlements are at risk of being destroyed by the waters of Ukraine’s largest reservoir.

In an interview with HotNews.ro, the woman said that thousands of people still remain in their own homes because of the water. Meanwhile, the Russian army continues to bomb Kherson region.

When asked why she decided to get into such a dangerous area, the woman says that “in war, it is important to understand that you do not live in vain.”

There is more and more information about the obstacles to the evacuation of people from flood-affected areas due to the Russian military. How much have you encountered this?

I am in Kherson, on the right bank, which was clearly affected by the flood. The greatest misfortune on the left bank is probably the ratio of 30 to 70%.

From the occupied territory, on the left side, people are constantly asking for help in social network groups. I write: “There are five of us on the roof,” “I’m running out of insulin.” I read such messages non-stop.

Some are saved, but help did not reach others. The situation, so to speak, is far from ideal.

During this period, since the beginning of the flood, the bombing continues?

I have not heard about the bombing from that side, I have not read anything about it yet. But I can say that in Kherson the shelling is continuous. That’s true. Even yesterday I had to hide from the bombings.

Flood in Kherson. PHOTO: Victoria Ivleva

What is happening now on the right bank (of the Dnieper) if the water begins to flow and how large-scale is the destruction?

Behind some houses, you can see that the water is going, maybe 40 centimeters. The water is starting to recede, yes, but that does not mean that the scale of this disaster is diminishing.

On the contrary, I think that when the water finally recedes, in about 10 days, we will see the streets of the city, there may be corpses of people, dead animals, we may find people locked in their apartments that no one has reached. I think we still have a lot of “discoveries” ahead of us, just like water pollution or certain diseases.

Approximately how many people are now in the flood-affected areas on both the right and left banks?

On the left bank, I heard that there were 6,000 to 8,000 people stuck in their houses. About the right bank, I know that on the first day representatives of the Red Cross evacuated 1,200 people. Animals were also evacuated. Maybe someone still didn’t manage to get help, and someone managed to get out of there on their own. It is difficult to say about the general situation in the city.

From what you’ve been able to see, will people be able to return to their homes when the water recedes, or will everything be completely destroyed?

Everything depends on the quality of the structures, each case is individual, it depends on how well this or that house is built. Hard to tell how long it will take to dry. Household appliances and other things inside the house are likely to disappear. In each case, I think, it will be decided individually.

“If I have the opportunity and if I’m good at something here, why not help?”

Victoria Ivleva. PHOTO: Personal archive

What motivated you to go to this dangerous area and help people?

This is a misfortune. If I have the opportunity and if I am good at something here, why not help? This is a normal, human thing. Help came from all over the world. I see that people in other parts of Ukraine are offering absolutely free shelter in their homes to the victims of this flood.

Assistance is provided both by the state and at the individual level. It’s inspiring when you participate in any kind of rescue, whether it’s raising money for a worthy cause or helping physically by rescuing animals. It improves your condition. You understand that you do not live in vain.

I think this is very important in wartime.

You currently live in Kyiv, but you are a citizen of the Russian Federation and lived in Moscow until recently. Now you are in Ukraine and helping Ukrainians. How did you decide you needed to be there?

I arrived in Kyiv on March 7, 2022. I am a citizen of the Russian Federation, I do not hide it. I have been helping Ukraine since 2014, in my opinion, that’s when the war started.

I believe that Russia has committed a terrible international crime. I am with Ukraine. It was natural for me that when the war went into a very hot phase and my country invaded, not tomorrow to others, but attacked Ukraine itself, to come and help those who are now in distress at sea. There were no other options.

PHOTO: Victoria Ivleva

Who is Victoria Ivleva?

Victoria Ivleva was born in 1956 in St. Petersburg, later lived in Moscow until March 2022. In 1983, she graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University.

During the collapse of the USSR, he worked in a hot war zone. She traveled to African countries, helping various international humanitarian missions, and was the only Russian journalist in Rwanda during the genocide.

Since 2014, he has been expressing his support for Ukraine. He participated in protests against the war unleashed by Russia in this country.

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