Mon Sep 15 10:13:18 UTC 2025: ## Kherson Teenager Recounts Horror of Russian Occupation: Loss, Detention, and Forced Indoctrination
**Mykolaiv, Ukraine** – Evhen Ihnatov, now 16, remembers the eight months in 2022 when Russian forces occupied his hometown of Kherson as a period of tragedy and bewilderment. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he detailed the horrors of life under Russian rule, including the loss of his mother, the forced detention of his brother in Russia, and the oppressive atmosphere of forced Russification.
Kherson, a strategically important city, was seized by Russian forces in early March 2022. Ihnatov recalls Ukrainians being subjected to mistreatment, assault, abduction, and torture from the very beginning. He witnessed brutal acts of violence against those who resisted, stating, “They beat people, a real lot. Those who really stood up are no more.”
Protests were met with fierce crackdowns. Historian Nikolay Mitrokhin told Al Jazeera that hundreds were imprisoned for minor offenses and used for forced labor, including digging trenches and cleaning streets. Reports of sexual violence perpetrated by Russian soldiers further paint a grim picture of the occupation.
Ihnatov described the Russian soldiers as far from liberators, often heavily intoxicated and displaying prison tattoos. He noted a stark contrast in behavior, with ethnic Chechen soldiers being more relaxed and offering sweets to Ukrainian teenagers, while soldiers from Russia and separatist Donbas were frequently hostile.
Efforts to erase Ukrainian identity were rampant. The Russian curriculum was introduced in all 174 public schools, with teachers from Russia and annexed Crimea brought in. Despite the promise of subsidies, many parents resisted, preferring Ukrainian online schooling. Ihnatov and his friends protested by ignoring lessons, but the new books pushed the idea that Ukraine was an “artificial state.”
Tragically, Ihnatov’s mother, Tamara, was killed when a minibus she was on was struck by a misdirected Ukrainian missile. The same day, his brother Vlad was sent to a Russian summer camp and subsequently held in Russia for a year. He was forced to attend school in Crimea and barred from returning home. His sister eventually traveled to Russia to bring him back, enduring extensive security checks.
In November 2022, Ukrainian forces liberated Kherson. The city erupted in joy, but the celebration was short-lived. Russian forces, now positioned on the left bank of the Dnipro River, began shelling the city and targeting civilians with drones.
Fearing for their safety, Ihnatov’s sister relocated the family to Mykolaiv. Now studying to become a car mechanic and working part-time, Ihnatov is considering joining the army after graduation. His experiences during the occupation have solidified his Ukrainian identity and left him with a deep understanding of the cost of freedom.
First Piper 