Kherson

The city was founded as a base for the Russian Empire's Black Sea Fleet on the site of a fortress previously established by Zaporozhian Cossacks. During the 19th and early 20th century Kherson served as the regional capital of eponymous governorate, becoming a major centre of trade and transport. Under the Soviet rule the city became a major scientific, cultural and industrial centre known for its shipbuilding industry. In modern Ukraine the city is also famous for its watermelons.

From March to November 2022, the city was occupied by Russian forces during their invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian forces recaptured the city on 11 November 2022. In June 2023, part of the city was flooded following the Russian destruction of the nearby Kakhovka Dam. Since liberation, Kherson has become a target of the human safari Russian terror campaign of deliberate drone targeting of civilians, killing about 200 people as of October 2025 per the UN report.