84-year-old walks 6 km to flee Kherson after six months of isolation

Vasyl Zaichenko, 84, covered nearly 6 km (about 4 miles) on foot to exit the city of Kherson.

He completed the journey in approximately 90 minutes, carrying only a torch and a phone charger.

Zaichenko had resided in Kherson for 60 years, where he and his wife built a home and maintained an orchard and flower garden.

For the last six months, he lived in near-total isolation due to intense Russian attacks and a lack of heating, with indoor temperatures hovering around 8°C.

"The attacks became intense, and there was no heating," Zaichenko stated. "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."

He relied on humanitarian aid delivered by drones during this period.

Volunteers located him after his walk, and his daughter and grandson collected him from a local transit center.

Zaichenko will now reside with his family in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

He is scheduled to turn 85 on 22 November.

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

In April 2024, 98-year-old Lidiia Stepanivna walked 10 km from a partially occupied village in Donetsk Oblast to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Ukrainian Railways later presented Stepanivna, a former train attendant, with an honorary certificate for a train route that served her village. She passed away in October 2025.