"The Russians were painting curbs and cleaning up the streets": an exclusive interview with Zarina Zabrisky about Oleshky and the people who remained there

During the four-day ceasefire in Oleshky , a humanitarian mission was carried out to rescue civilians who remained under occupation. At the same time, Russia attempted to exploit this operation for its own interests: to portray itself as a savior, to conceal its responsibility for the humanitarian crisis, and to blame Ukraine. American journalist Zarina Zabrisky followed the mission’s progress and, together with her colleagues, tried to counter the Russian information campaign.

In an interview with 24 Channel, American journalist Zarina Zabrisky described what happened in Kherson after the ceasefire ended, why some residents of Oleshky were unable to evacuate, and how the Russians tried to use the humanitarian operation for propaganda purposes. The journalist also explained whether it is possible to continue providing aid to people under occupation and why it is important to view the situation on the front lines holistically, rather than focusing solely on individual settlements.

What’s happening now in Oleshky and Kherson after the ceasefire ended

Are you in Kherson right now? What would you say about the situation there, especially now that the ceasefire has ended? Have the attacks really intensified?

Yes, I’m in Kherson. I just ran out onto the street to get some water because I’ve been giving a lot of interviews these days and I need to drink. And the moment I stepped out of the building, the shooting started, there was a rumble, and then a drone exploded. It was the same thing on the way back.

But based on my observations and experience, I wouldn’t say the intensity has increased. In fact, everything has gone back to the way it was before the ceasefire.

And this is confirmed by soldiers from the 34th Brigade. They say that the Russians, under the guise of a humanitarian operation, tried to pull off a “Trojan horse” maneuver – They brought in ammunition, weapons, and artillery, anti-drone defenses, and about 1,000 infantrymen. But the difference is that everyone saw it. It’s not as if they were doing it in secret.

So the Ukrainian military is prepared for this. They’re on the job. And, in essence, the battle for Kherson continues.

Let’s talk about the evacuation and the mission itself. Do you agree that this was an important mission, despite all the disinformation we later saw from the Russian side?

Yes. And that’s exactly what I want to talk about, because something quite remarkable and positive happened along the way. And it’s not just the evacuation and rescue – we don’t know the exact number, but lives were saved. That, of course, is the most important thing in this situation. Everything else pales in comparison to that.

A distinctive feature of this ceasefire The problem was that almost no one believed it would last, because, as we know from history, it has always been violated, and Russia never keeps its word. We saw drones and reconnaissance drones in the sky and heard certain sounds, but there were no explosions, except for those during demining operations in Oleshky.

We heard this quite often during the first few days of the ceasefire. We heard explosions every 3 to 5 minutes. There were so many mines here. It was just crazy. Then it died down; it was still happening, but a little less frequently and at longer intervals.

Full interview with Zarina Zabrisky: watch the video

Unfortunately, we also heard explosions in Kherson caused by mines, and, according to my information, at least six people were killed by mines previously dropped by Russian drones in Kherson. Two of these people were individuals with whom I had worked closely on my documentary films.

Volodymyr Obertas, the press officer of the 34th Brigade – I worked with him on the film “Kherson Human Safari,” and we were also working on a second documentary. They didn’t actually step on the mines. There are certain devices programmed to explode if you get close to them. And that’s exactly what happened in both cases, unfortunately.

There were casualties nonetheless, but overall, if you look at the big picture, it was a real ceasefire. There was no artillery, and no drones were hunting people in the streets. Of course, it all ended as soon as that specific period of time passed.

But during those four days – which seemed like an eternity to me and everyone else in Kherson – it was very strange for us because we could go anywhere. We had to watch out for landmines, but my colleagues and I walked through places we could never have dreamed of and filmed a lot.

I wouldn’t say it was an incredible experience. It was incredibly painful, because we saw so much destruction and were able to truly show its scale for the first time: charred, burned-out buildings, devastated neighborhoods.

After that first time, I had nightmares. But from a reporting and journalistic standpoint, we were satisfied that we were able to get there and show all of this.

As for Oleshky, I continue to stay in touch with all the volunteers and people involved in the rescue efforts. We checked every hour to see what was happening, how registration was going, and where the lists were. There was a lot of confusion, partly because the Russians were jamming communications.

Communications weren’t working at all, and we believe this was intentional. As a result, quite a few people never found out that the evacuation was underway. They were hiding in basements, unaware of the ceasefire, because they had no contact with the outside world and were afraid to go outside.

That’s why many people stayed behind. And many others stayed because they didn’t believe it would end well. They didn’t trust anyone. Of course, they didn’t trust the Russians, who had been killing them for four years.

And at that point, I have to say, they didn’t even trust the Ukrainian authorities, because they didn’t know them, hadn’t communicated with them, didn’t trust anyone, and they stayed because they were afraid to leave. I just spoke with someone who fled Oleshky, and they said that the situation is now much worse, and many regret not having dared to leave.

Do you have a figure for how many people are still in Oleshky?

About a thousand, based on what I’ve heard, but it’s impossible to give an exact number. This is unverified information. We can’t verify it.

Right now, no one can do that because, as I’ve already said, many people are staying in the suburbs, or there are small villages around Oleshky where the roads haven’t been cleared of mines, and no one has been able to get there to check. So, essentially, we don’t know.

Is it possible to continue the humanitarian mission, and how is aid being delivered?

Do you expect the Ukrainian and Russian sides to agree to continue this humanitarian mission? Will people have food in the coming months, or was this just a one-time effort? What are your expectations?

I can’t predict the future, and I’m not part of the Russian occupation authorities. So I can’t tell you exactly what will happen, but based on everything I’ve seen and researched since I began studying this story back in February, I don’t see any practical way to deliver humanitarian aid other than by drones.

And, by the way, that’s exactly what the Ukrainians will continue to do. Theoretically, the Russians could do this – not that they’ve done it before – but The roads will be mined again. And no one will be able to clear the mines again, because it will simply be impossible.

And since we know – we have evidence – that the Russians are bringing in military reinforcements, and, as I’ve already mentioned, more personnel and more weapons, the Ukrainian side will obviously target those personnel and those weapons, because they’re there to harm Kherson. So the fighting will continue. And we doubt it will be anything other than drones.

But in my latest interview with the 34th Brigade, the drone battalion commander confirmed that they have plans to continue operations, and about a week before the ceasefire, I had a rare opportunity to film one such operation. Large Vampire drones were carrying boxes containing about 20 kilograms of food, and prior to that, they had also delivered medicine.

So there are certain ways to deliver food, but it will be more difficult; these will be very, very dangerous and challenging times for those who remain.

How Russia Used a Humanitarian Operation for Propaganda

Let’s break down how the Russian media covered this mission. They’re trying to portray the humanitarian situation in Oleshky as having been caused by the actions of Ukrainians. What’s your reaction? How did the Russian media actually react, and why is this image of a peacemaker so important to the Russian side?

This is indeed a very important aspect of the entire operation. What actually happened was that the Russians didn’t want to let these people – civilians, Ukrainian civilians – out of Oleshky. I traveled to Kyiv in May to speak with the Ombudsman’s office, and we proposed evacuation routes across the Dnipro River, but nothing worked out.

Why? Because the Russians need these people as human shields. They need to hide their positions from the Ukrainian military behind the backs of innocent civilians.

So they held these people hostage. They didn’t care that they were starving them; they were actually using fear and hunger as instruments of power to control the masses, just as they always do. And everything was going “well” until the media finally shed light on the situation.

Ultimately, the international community learned about the atrocities taking place in Europe, and people know that thousands of innocent civilians are dying of starvation. They’re not going to let this slide.

Here’s what happened next: The Pope openly addressed Putin, and this is a massive blow to the Kremlin’s image – they’ve been very carefully crafting the image of their “savior,” their “liberator.” They don’t like to look bad.

So they paused for a bit. There was a brief period of silence, with no statements from the Kremlin. And they are a very cunning, strategic, and very dangerous adversary. They They came up with a plan that was quite brilliant, as always.

This humanitarian operation will be initiated by them. This will play into the hands of their propaganda and help minimize their losses. They will manipulate the situation, shift the blame, and accuse Ukraine and the Ukrainian military of the situation in Oleshky. So they’re cleaning up their own reputation.

As a bonus, they’ll try to curry favor with the White House by involving Melania Trump right before the midterm elections, showcasing visible results of diplomacy. And that would earn the Kremlin points in its relationship with Trump.

On top of that: they’re sending in public works crews after the demining, painting everything – they painted the curbs, removed the bodies from places where dogs had been eating them, hauled away the trash, and the Oleshkas prepared for this highly staged press tour, to which they invited all the Kremlin propagandists.

Plus, they handpicked a news agency that works for the White House – Newsmax – though not even everyone from Newsmax, because the one in Kyiv didn’t suit them, as it was “too pro-Ukrainian.” And another “cherry on top” was the whole “Trojan horse” operation, where, under the guise of a humanitarian mission, they were supposed to deliver all the military equipment.

But no, it didn’t work. My friend Kaylin Robinson got a tip. We talked and worked out a strategy. My first thought was to write an article – a comprehensive analysis of how the Kremlin organizes these propaganda tours.

I sat down and wrote such an article analyzing previous propaganda tours for the Kyiv Post. At that point, we began sending it out everywhere: to all our allies and foreign journalists, warning them that a propaganda operation was underway.

By that time, we already had many powerful allies. Anne Applebaum shared it, and The Atlantic picked up another article of mine and published it right on time with a spot-on headline: “What You’ll See from Oleshky Is Fake.” So by the time the Kremlin propagandists arrived and began spreading their fabricated stories, everyone already knew it was fake.

The whole thing fell apart before it even began. The only reason we managed to dismantle the Kremlin’s propaganda campaign is that we all joined forces.

What the Oleshky story means for the front lines and what comes next

What would you say about the recent meeting at the White House? Do you expect similar missions in the future, given that there has been media speculation that this evacuation from Oleshky could be the start of a larger process?

Well, let me start from the end. I’d be happy to be wrong, because I don’t think the campaign in Oleshky is an indication of what will happen next. It’s something completely different from what’s happening in other parts of the front. I don’t see it that way.

I think if this has shown us anything, it’s that there’s only one way to stop the war. If Russia stops, the war will end. When they stopped, Kherson went back to life as if there had never been a war. So we know it’s physically possible.

I don’t know if they’re capable of it, because for Putin, his government, the Kremlin, and the entire machinery of the Russian Empire, it would mean the end. Their economy is built for war. Their power depends on continuing the war. So I don’t see how they could turn around and stop this.

But even that whole event at the White House was too late, too meager, and misguided, because the midterm elections had already taken place. Melania Trump’s diplomacy didn’t help the Republicans improve their dismal results. This very localized ceasefire was sold to Americans as a general ceasefire. But it was too late, and it didn’t work. Nothing happened.

As for the trilateral talks that will soon take place in Abu Dhabi, involving the United States, Russia, and Ukraine – we’ll see. Watching this show put on by the illusionists at the White House yesterday, I thought the only thing missing was some outrageous lie or accusation from Russia – the kind they usually try to throw in wherever they can.

They simply played the “good guys” but didn’t insult the Ukrainians. This could be a sign that something in the system is breaking down, that they need something, and we’ll soon see if that’s true.

The situation in the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions is very complex; many cities and villages are facing enormous humanitarian problems. Do you think there’s a pressing need to continue this mission, since it’s important to understand that the dire situation isn’t limited to Oleshky?

Yes, that’s one of the problems with covering the war – focusing on isolated locations doesn’t provide a complete picture. That’s exactly why Kaylin and I, as a team, traveled along the entire front line, and we’re currently working on this. He’s preparing a series of video reports – perhaps a documentary – and I’ll be writing about the situation along the entire front line, since we were able to compare nearly every location in this combat zone.

It’s very uneven. It’s a single body, a single organism that breathes and bleeds together. And if there’s a wound in one place – say, in Kramatorsk, where 30 or 40 guided bombs are dropped in a single day – and a little further away, in Dnipro, there are calm days – which isn’t actually true, because there have recently been massive attacks on Dnipro and almost every city or town – it’s one body.

If you injure your arm or cut off a finger, the entire body suffers. And it’s very important to understand this.

I hope that soon we’ll be able to provide this analysis with a better understanding of the technologies and various developments in modern warfare. Artificial intelligence is already here. Wars are being fought in tunnels and in the sky. It’s so unconventional – we need to talk about it, and talk about it as a whole.

So it’s important for an international audience that I continue my mission. At the end of the month, I’m traveling to Denmark to give a briefing to the Danish government. Then I’ll return to the U.S. and continue giving briefings, preparing reports, and engaging in advocacy journalism.

Also this week, I became the official ambassador for the 35th Marine Brigade. It was not an easy decision, because first and foremost, I am an independent journalist.

But after two of my friends were killed during the ceasefire, I felt in my heart that I was already working to defend Kherson and the Kherson region. And I owe it to their memory and to those who gave their lives to continue doing this through a more collaborative effort. We need this victory for Ukraine. We cannot allow the Russians to continue doing what they are doing.