In early March, the Russian army occupied Kherson, an important strategic city in southern Ukraine, which became the first major city in Ukraine to be captured by the Russian army since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. This week, the Russian side said it had taken control of the entire South Kherson region and planned to introduce the ruble as the official currency in the control area from May 1, local time.
According to foreign media reports, pensions in some areas of Kherson have been issued in the form of rubles, but some people in the area converted the rubles back into the Ukrainian currency hryvnia; some residents said that if they completely switched to rubles, they would choose to leave. . According to reports, after the Russian administrator announced the implementation of the ruble locally, the hryvnia has a grace period of 4 months, after which the local settlement will be completely settled in rubles.
↑On the evening of April 26, local time, the Russian military announced that it had taken control of the entire Kherson area. The picture shows Russian military vehicles on the local street.
The ruble will be introduced on May 1, and the currency transition will last for 4 months
According to a report by the Reference News Network on April 27, the Russian military announced on the evening of April 26, local time, that the Russian army had taken control of the entire Kherson region in southern Ukraine.
According to Russian media reports, Kirill Stremusov, deputy chairman of the military and civilian administrative agency of Ukraine’s Kherson state, said on the 28th that the region will introduce Russian currency on May 1, and complete the transfer of Russian currency in the next four months. Transition in the ruble area”. During this period, the ruble and Ukraine’s official currency, the hryvnia, can be circulated together, after which the local “will completely switch to rubles for settlement.”
In addition, Russia has appointed a new mayor locally. Foreign media reported that the current mayor of Kherson, Igor Korehayev, did not leave the area, saying that he had not stopped working and was still providing support to local residents. Regarding Russia’s plan to introduce the ruble, Koreyhaev said that the ruble plan would not work locally because the only effective “banking system” in the region was Ukrainians, not Russians.
↑On April 10, a picture released by the Russian Ministry of Defense showed that Russian soldiers distributed aid in the village of Stanislav in the Kherson region.
“I think if the ruble is introduced, most people will leave here,” said a resident who goes by the pseudonym “Olga”, who still lives in Kherson. According to reports, since the important strategic city was taken control by Russia, about 40% of the population has left the area due to problems such as water shortages and food and medicine shortages.
Residents exchange rubles for Ukrainian currency, disrupting local daily life
Olga said there are still local currency exchange points in Kherson. “If I get rubles, I will go and exchange them for hryvnia, and I think others will do the same. This is just a small protest.” Foreign media reported that pensions in some areas of Kherson have been It was issued in rubles, but people exchanged the rubles they received back into hryvnia.
↑The shelves of some supermarkets in Kherson are empty.
The report pointed out that for the residents who stay in the local area, the problem they face is not only the Russian ruble plan, but the basic living guarantee is more important at present. Allegedly, life in Kherson became increasingly difficult. Many residents said they could only buy very few items due to insufficient supply in supermarkets. Many shops, restaurants and businesses have closed, and parts of the economy have come to a standstill. However, some media said that local farmers have begun to gradually increase food supply to supermarkets.
Russian military officials said that in the areas controlled by the Russian military, people’s daily life is gradually returning. A report by the British Defense Intelligence Agency pointed out that a series of measures taken by Russia on the ground may indicate its intention to exert political and economic influence in Kherson for a long time. Intelligence analysts concluded that “persistent control of Kherson and its lines of communication would enhance Russia’s ability to maintain its advance into northern and western Ukraine and strengthen Russia’s security control of Crimea.”
Red Star News reporter Ding Wen
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