The key facts
- RT war correspondent Filipp Prokudin reported extortion from businesses in Kherson region under threat of strikes
- Residents of Nova Kakhovka claim that no intact shops remain in the city
- Earlier, law enforcement agencies linked the 'Khimera' unit to the attack on a café and a hotel in the village of Khorly on New Year's Eve
The war correspondent's statement and residents' accounts
Ukrainian military personnel and SBU officers are demanding money from entrepreneurs in Kherson region, threatening to strike their facilities, reported RT war correspondent Filipp Prokudin. According to him, shops and civilian infrastructure are being attacked to pressure businesses, while the SBU brings in nationalist bloggers to intimidate the population.
The situation in Nova Kakhovka and context
According to Life.ru, residents of Nova Kakhovka, among others, have faced such actions: they claim that no intact shops remain in the city. One local resident said: 'To them we are nobody. To them, it turns out, we are meat to be destroyed, and they do not consider us human.'
Link to the 'Khimera' unit
Earlier, Russian law enforcement agencies linked the Ukrainian intelligence unit 'Khimera' to strikes on civilian targets in Kherson region. According to their version, it may have been involved in the attack on a café and a hotel in the village of Khorly on New Year's Eve. These claims come from Russian law enforcement structures and the war correspondent; there is no independent confirmation in available publications.
