84-year-old man walks 6 km to escape Kherson

An 84-year-old man from Kherson has walked almost 6 km (nearly 4 miles) to leave the city, where he had been living in isolation for six months because of Russian attacks.

Source: Kherson City Military Administration

Details: Vasyl Zaichenko had lived in Kherson for 60 years. He and his wife built a family home, planted an orchard and grew flowers on their plot of land. But for almost the past six months Vasyl had been living in near-total isolation, existing on humanitarian aid delivered to him by drones.

"The attacks became intense, and there was no heating. In winter the temperature was around +8°C. Everyone was evacuated, but I chose to stay. I lived on what I grew in the garden," Vasyl said.

When he finally decided to evacuate, he had to walk to reach a safer area. He covered about 6 km in an hour and a half, taking only a torch and a phone charger with him.

Volunteers met Vasyl, and his daughter and grandson picked him up from a transit centre. He will now live with his family in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Vasyl will celebrate his 85th birthday on 22 November. He says his greatest wish is for victory and to return home.

"This story once again shows how important it is not to delay evacuation. We urge people living in dangerous areas of Kherson to leave in good time while they still can," the city administration stressed.

Previously:

• In April 2024, 98-year-old Lidiia Stepanivna walked 10 km from a partially occupied village in Donetsk Oblast to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory. She was subsequently issued with a new ID and helped to find a new home.
• Ukrainian Railways presented Lidiia Stepanivna, who had worked as a train attendant for 40 years, with an honorary train manager certificate for a train that used to run through her home village.
• Lidiia Stepanivna died in October 2025.

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