While evacuating a psychiatric hospital in Ukraine, there was one question on my mind

Were the personal risks the team in Kherson faced were worth it? Yes, if it meant safeguarding the lives of 400 people, writes Julien Binet

In two to three minutes, we heard around 10 blasts from the demining teams. We felt the resonance of each explosion in our chests (AP)

As we drove through Kherson oblast and into the city, the face of this war was visible. For several kilometres, the destruction was absolute, with towns and villages wiped off the map by continuous shelling – not a single school, home or medical facility left intact.

When we reached Kherson city, the explosions were near constant. In different parts of the city, there were incoming Russian shells, outgoing Ukrainian shells and demining teams detonating ordinance left behind by retreating Russian forces. In two to three minutes, we heard around 10 blasts from the demining teams. The sound was deafening; we felt the resonance of each explosion in our chests.

The request to evacuate Kherson’s psychiatric hospital came from the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. Some 400 patients, in need of 24-hour medical support, had survived months in a warzone without the medicines they depend on. The loss of power meant that the hospital’s medical staff were unable to continue providing essential care, or even adequate food to their patients, and the hospital remained within range of artillery fire.