In view of the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kherson, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of a “historic day”. “We are taking back Kherson,” he said in his daily video message via Telegram on Friday. He had previously written that the city once again belonged to “our people”. The United States spoke of an “extraordinary victory”. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stressed on Saturday that the war was on. Ukraine already has to defend the recaptured territory against new Russian attacks.
The Ukrainian army is on the outskirts of the city, Zelenskyj explained on Telegram. “But there are already special forces in the city,” he added. Their first task will be to neutralize the numerous mines left behind by the Russian army. The Ukrainian president praised the courage of the residents of Kherson, who have been under Russian occupation since mid-March. “They never gave up on Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
“Kherson is Ukraine,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in an online service. Images of people in Kherson waving Ukrainian flags were also posted on social media. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba called the Russian withdrawal “another important victory” for Ukraine. On Saturday, however, he stressed: “We win battles on the ground. But the war continues.”
The United States on Saturday spoke of an “extraordinary victory” for Ukraine after the withdrawal of Russian troops. “It appears that the Ukrainians have just won an extraordinary victory, with the only regional capital Russia captured in that war now flying the Ukrainian flag again,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.
Other Ukrainian cities are less threatened
He said the Russian withdrawal has “broader strategic implications”. This includes mitigating the longer-term threat Russia poses to other southern Ukrainian cities, such as Odessa. This great moment is due to the “incredible tenacity and skill of the Ukrainians”. He also referred to the support of the United States and other countries.
Nine months after the outbreak of war, the Russian army evacuated the strategically important city of Kherson on Friday morning. At 5 a.m. 4 p.m. CET, “the transfer of Russian soldiers to the left bank of the Dnipro River (Dnepr) was over,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in online services. Accordingly, “not a single piece of military equipment and weapons” was left on the other side of the river. The Russian army said it had withdrawn more than 30,000 troops from northern Kherson region.
For Moscow, the region is of great strategic importance to continue the offensive towards Mykolaiv and the Black Sea port of Odessa. In addition, Kherson is home to the Kakhovka Dam, which supplies water to the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia.
Moscow continues to claim territory for itself
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of Kherson and three other Ukrainian regions at the end of September. On Friday, the Kremlin said Kherson would remain part of Russian territory despite the withdrawal of troops. The region is “a subject of the Russian Federation,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who used the Russian term for administrative units.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
