Traitor next door? Fear stalks Kherson after Russian occupation ends

Valentyna Haras, 74, stands outside her home next to graffiti with the letter Z, painted by neighbours, which has become a symbol of the Russian military, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kherson, Ukraine, May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

KHERSON, Ukraine (Reuters) - Valentyna Haras says she isn't a traitor.

Nonetheless, her garden walls in the Ukrainian city of Kherson are covered with graffiti marking her out as a Russian collaborator. "Rashist" - a Ukrainian blend of Russian fascist - is scrawled in red paint. Accusatory "Z"s - symbols of support for Moscow's war machine - are daubed liberally.