It took 24 hours for the flood waters to come to Bilozerka, a frontline village 8 miles west of Kherson. When they did, in a 90-minute rush early on Wednesday, they flooded out about 24 cottages in two streets by the waterline – the fast rising levels forcing Oleksandr to flee his home of 22 years.
“I was hiding in the attic, it was probably 4am, and I realised I had to swim back,” said Oleksandr, looking out to his house from the new waterline. His dog, Zhanka, followed him into the water, only to drown from the effort of trying to reach safety.
