"I was left practically alone and represented Ukraine with governmental authority" - Nova Kakhovka’s mayor on work during the occupation

He shared the details on Espresso.

"From 11:00 on February 24, the Kakhovskaya HPP(hydroelectric power station) was occupied, and the next day Russian troops entered the city. I was left practically alone, because both the district administration and the district council were evacuated, so I represented Ukraine with governmental authority.I would have done nothing on my own if it wasn't for the social welfare department, if there wasn't a clear position for doctors and teachers, in the department that deals with guardianship issues," the mayor said.

Kovalenko believes that great pressure on him was not possible due to the fact that Nova Kakhovka did not immediately become a front-line city.

"Somehow, there was no great pressure to prevent us from fulfilling our duties. There was a hunt for ATO soldiers, for active people or on whom Russians had certain denunciations. From the first day we had to deal with issues - any cash flow was stopped,and three thousand people had received a pension through the mail. We weren't able to receive a single pill or ampoule from the Ukrainian controlled territory. We were fine with food supplies, because there were a large number of food warehouses in the city," he added.

The mayor noted that it was necessary to convince private entrepreneurs to start going to work and ensure the life of the city.

"The Russians entered the premises of state structures, the Social Security Administration hid the lists of people so that the  Russian occupiers would not get them. Drug addicts were the first to go to hand over information about everyone. It started on the third to fifth day, the search for ATO soldiers began," - said Kovalenko.

He told about the murders by Russian army in the city.

"On the first day, the director of the Kakhovsmskaya HPP called and said that they wanted to talk about the working regime. I arrived and witnessed there the first shelling - a car, where five people died on the first day - a grandfather, a grandmother, two grandchildren and a daughter-in-law. "Two days later, they shot a woman who was going to feed her livestock at the country estate. And two days later, a water company driver who was guarding a military convoy was shot dead," the mayor said.

Kovalenko noted that the russian occupiers do not understand management and city economy.

"I was told that there will be a person nearby who would watch over me. To work in a position for 20 years and listen to some overseer behind me - I wouldn't let this happen. I packed my things and left. The hospitals had to work, the water supply, too. The people who died were needed to be buried. There were no funds - we had to negotiate with entrepreneurs so that they would conclude an agreement with Ukrposhta and transfer the funds to them, and they would transfer the funds to the pensioners' account. In this way, we raised almost UAH 3.5 million and gave them to pensioners," he said.

The mayor noted that there were no fights for the Kakhovskaya HPP.

"At 5 a.m. on February 24, I heard explosions from a part of the air defense forces, and at 11 a.m. Russian troops were already at the Kakhovskaya HPP. It is 55 km from the Chaplinka checkpoint. There were no battles for the Kakhovskaya HPP. It is strange to me. I always proudly said, who here represents Ukraine and these structures. I questioned whether we should have left people. Why is running away in the first days considered a heroic act, and staying with people you have been with for 20 years without breaking the law is considered collaborationism. You can be a person, and a scoundrel on both sides. People asked not to put the stamp of traitors on all the people who remained on the occupied territory against their will on the first day." - concluded the mayor.