Former Kherson mayor Mykolaienko on occupation of city in 2022: I am convinced that it was betrayal. VIDEO
Former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Mykolaienko, who spent 3 years in Russian captivity, believes that the fast occupation of the city by Russian troops in 2022 is the result of betrayal.
He said this in an interview with Radio "Kuresh", Censor.NET reports.
"You know, I am convinced that it was a betrayal. It is my clear conviction that this is a betrayal. And that it is absolutely not accidental. Because to get to Kherson so quickly through the territory of the region, and why wasn't that Antonivskyi bridge blown up? This is a big question for me. I remember that three weeks before the war, the military was conducting exercises. And under the leadership of the Security Service of Ukraine, as far as I remember, the president was present. And afterwards, he gave interviews saying that the enemy would not pass through here, everything was mined, bridges were mined. There is no chance of passage at all. Therefore, we understand that the president was told and shown one thing, but in fact it turned out to be something completely different. I'm telling you, only red carpets were not laid for these tanks to come," he said.
According to Mykolaienko, if the Antonivskyi Bridge or other bridges were blown up, it would take a very long time for the Russians to cross to the right bank of the Kherson region.
"It would have taken them a long time, but I believe that someone was just working off the money they had received, the fifth column, the so-called money of the Russian Federation, simply infiltrated some governing bodies here, and perhaps it was thanks to this betrayal that they did so well. If the Antonivskyi Bridge had been blown up, the next crossing was in Kakhovka, 60 kilometres away, it was also possible not let them in from the right bank, and the next crossing point was only in Zaporizhzhia. What we are having now is that we cannot cross to the left bank, because the crossing is only in Zaporizhzhia," he added.
As a reminder, Volodymyr Mykolaienko was released from Russian captivity on 24 August 2025 as part of a prisoner exchange.
After his captivity, Mykolaienko shared his memories of torture, psychological pressure and offers to head the city's occupation administration.
