Inside the formerly occupied city of Kherson as Ukraine marks one year of war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated his people for fighting back and vowed to defeat Russia's military this year. Sixty minutes visited the city of Kherson, which Russia brutally occupied for eight months until Ukraine's army forced a retreat back in November. While the recapture of the city lifted hopes for Ukrainians, CBS News senior foreign correspondent Holly Williams found the people of Kherson continue to live their lives under fire. The whole thing's underground. It's too risky for Mayor Halina Lohova and her team to work in the town hall. Secretary here? So the administration of a city the size of St. Louis has been crammed into this basement.

There are a lot of problems we have and you see the people who solve them. And I'm just noticing it's nearly all women. There are a lot of women here also, yes, that's right. We have a lot of girls here. They've had to improvise. To keep the buses running, parts have been salvaged from those hit-by-shells. And the heat at this hospital is off most days, so that wisps of steam don't catch the attention of Russian artillery spotters.

I've heard that you like to describe Harrison as invincible. Neslamne. Why did you choose that word? We are unbreakable. All the people of Ukraine are unbreakable. Wow, joining us now, CBS News senior foreign correspondent Holly Williams. Holly, great to have you physically with us here in studio 57. And wonderful to speak to you about what's happening there because you've not only covered the conflict for this past year, but you also covered a lot of events that led up to what's happening now.

Talk to us more about the people you've spoke with and what life is really like as they now approach a second year of war. Yeah, that's right. I mean, I've been covering Ukraine on and off since 2014. Look, the Ukrainians never wanted this war. They're being killed sometimes in their own home. They want peace. But what they don't want to do is hand over a chunk of their country to Vladimir Putin in the hope that he'll then leave them alone.

And I think it's worth thinking about the same scenario here in the US. What if there was a bigger, more powerful country that invaded the US, killed a lot of Americans? And then some people started saying, you know what, maybe you should hand over Minnesota. Maybe you should hand over Montana to the enemy and maybe then they'll stop killing Americans. I don't think that Americans can't agree to that. And Ukrainians won't either. We saw that clip and it was just remarkable to see the spirit and the resilience and the defiance, right? And that woman that you talked to, what is it that you think residents there want the world to know about their circumstances in Horsesne and their determination? Because we could clearly, you could see that, you could feel it in that interview. Yeah.

I mean, Horsesne's had this particularly brutal experience during the last year. First of all, occupied for more than eight months. If you look at our report on 60 Minutes this Sunday, you'll see we spoke to someone who says that he was tortured in really appalling conditions, but also people who displayed that resistance, that defiance. After the occupation, the Russians were pushed back to the other side of the river, but they are still there. The Russian forces just on the other side of the river and they are pummeling Horsesne every day. I think people in Horsesne say the same thing that so many other Ukrainians say, which is that we are going to win this war. But we're hoping that you guys in the US and in other countries keep on giving us the weapons to do so.

And the weapons, also the funding in aid and other aspects are what seem to be top of mind for a lot of Americans who are worried about domestic issues and funds that are needed there as well. So what do you make of the argument now that so much money is being given? And sure, the purpose of strengthening Ukraine is something the administration wants to do, but to what end? Yeah. Well, look, it's tough times here. It's tough times in a lot of places in the world. People have the right to know where their tax dollars are going and it's a lot of money that's going to Ukraine. I think the point that the US government and other governments make is that this is not just about Ukraine, that if Vladimir Putin is allowed to take a bite out of Ukraine, then he could do it again to another country. And there may be other authoritarian regimes around the world, China say, that look at that and say, well, if they're getting away with it, then maybe we'd like to do the same thing to other countries as well.

So the US and its allies believe that if Vladimir Putin is allowed to get away with invading Ukraine, it will make the world less stable and much more dangerous for everyone, including Americans. And that's why they're sending so much aid, billions and billions of dollars, including military aid to Ukraine in many ways. It's just so hard to believe that it's been a year that Ukrainians have been living under these conditions. But Holly Williams, we really thank you for sharing your reporting with us and bringing us those stories that can sometimes feel far away, frankly, for I think a lot of Americans. But for this moment, it's worth noting, this is something that these Ukrainian people are enduring and continue to endure and say that they will continue to fight back against in the days to come. Holly Williams, thank you. Thank you, Holly.

Thanks for having me. Holly's full report this Sunday on 60 Minutes Right Here on CBS.

Ukraine, russia-ukraine war, Kherson, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, CBS News, news