The lives of thousands of civilians were at risk.

The undermining of the Kakhovska HPP by the occupiers caused the biggest man-made disaster in Europe in decades. The lives of thousands of civilians were at risk. The worst situation was for the left bank of Kherson region. Not realizing that they would open "Pandora's box", the russian occupying forces directed the channel of the Dnieper to their own positions. In a matter of hours, 600 square kilometers of Kherson region were flooded, 68 percent of which was the left bank.

It is impossible to come up with another word than the genocide of the Ukrainian people. The invaders forbade leaving houses and settlements, seized boats, fired at people with machine guns and artillery, and in the end did not organize any evacuation. But even in the most difficult conditions, Ukrainians who found themselves alone with a deadly disaster had hope for rescue, because the border guards of Kherson border guard detachment took up the task of rescue.

Border guards helped civilians evacuate 24/7 from flooded buildings and save the most valuable thing - their own lives. Doc was one of the border guards who saved Kherson people. From early morning until late at night, day after day, risking his own life, he helped civilians.

"I received information from my commander that there were people on a small island in the occupied settlement on the left bank of Kherson region. Without any hesitation, I decided that we would definitely leave for the operation. Yes, the operation itself, because in order to get to that shore, you need to have a lot of preparation and careful planning of the route," Doc shares his memories.

The border guards went along the specified route under the guidance of aerial reconnaissance. When it is about human lives, the "eyes" in the sky should always be there. Approaching the location of the people, Doc was horrified, because the people were on a small piece of land surrounded by water on all sides. "When we swam, we could already see a lot of tents and people waiting for us. But the feeling of anxiety did not leave for a moment, it seemed that it could be a trap. They worked like lightning - they began to place people and their animals on the boat immediately. That day was full of adrenaline and the desire to help people, our people..." - Doc says.

Our soldiers were greeted as real heroes, they did the impossible - risking their own lives, they went directly under enemy bullets and began to evacuate people. Maybe one day a book will be written about this story, or a documentary film will be made, but gratitude to the border guards will remain forever in the memory of the rescued people.