Yesterday the Ukrainian flag was removed from the city council building, with Mayor Ihor Kolykhaev posting a message on Facebook that "armed people entered the building, took the keys and replaced our guards with their own".
"I'm with you," he said.
Those who remain in the region face troubling times ahead, with residents fighting against Russia's newly imposed government along with an upcoming "pseudo referendum" to become independent and subsequently join Russia.
Those in the city of Mykolaiv have been without water for over two weeks now.
Russians have also reportedly been collecting personal data including passport information.
This week Russia appointed a chief of the Kherson Regional State Administration, Volodymyr Saldo, and a chief of the Kherson City Administration, Oleksandr Kobets.
"Russian troops are trying to present in Kherson and part of Zaporizhia region an allegedly new government," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message on Wednesday night.
"They are changing flags … And what does this give Russia? Only new losses."
In unverified social media posts Russia can be seen "brutally" dispersing a protest in the city's Freedom Square overnight, allegedly using teargas and light-noise grenades.
What was a peaceful protest, where residents chanted "Kherson is Ukraine", quickly turned to chaos with at least four casualties reported and civilians detained.
"Despite threats, beatings, arrests, and kidnappings, people of occupied Kherson took to the streets again," Ukrainian journalist Alexander Khrebet wrote.
"Russian troops threw grenades at unarmed people and opened fire. "
According to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, a man suffered an open leg fracture, a woman suffered burns and a ruptured lung, while two more men received eye and nasopharyngeal burns.
Zelenskyy warned Russia will face a "new sanctions package from the European Union, there will be even more restrictions on trade".
"Most countries of the world will inevitably refuse Russian oil and other Russian energy. Not a single adequate country would want to invite Rosatom to co-operation."
