Kherson: Russia shells abandoned territory

Dhe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has given the view of the withdrawal of Russian troops Kherson spoken of a “historic day”. “We’re taking back Kherson,” he said in his daily video message on the online service Telegram on Friday. He had previously written that the city once again belonged to “our people”. The Kremlin declared that despite the troop withdrawal, Kherson would remain part of Russian territory.

The Ukrainian army is currently on the outskirts of the city, Zelenskyj explained on Telegram. “But special forces are already in the city,” he added. 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,” said Zelenskyy. “Kherson is Ukraine,” said Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko in an online service.

The Ukrainian armed forces reacted with skepticism and caution to the official announcement from Moscow that Russian troops had completely withdrawn from the west bank of the Dnipro. They feared traps and ambushes. Even hours after the withdrawal from the regional capital of the same name, Kherson, and other places on the western bank of the Dnieper, which the Moscow Ministry of Defense said at 5 a.m., the military intelligence service said on Friday that “an operation to liberate Kherson” was underway.

Videos and photos circulating on social media previously showed an enthusiastic reception in the region for apparently arriving Ukrainian soldiers. Waving Ukrainian flags, residents cheered the troops and hugged soldiers. However, it was initially not officially confirmed that the city of Cherson was once again in Ukrainian hands. “It will only be possible to talk about establishing Ukrainian control over the city after an official report from the general staff,” army spokesman Andriy Yusov told the AP news agency.

Shortly after the withdrawal of their own troops from the Ukrainian regional capital of Cherson and other places, Russia says it has started attacks on the region it has just given up. “Currently, troops and military equipment of the Ukrainian armed forces are being shelled on the right bank of the Dnipro River,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Friday.

Just a few hours earlier, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov announced that all Russian units in the southern Ukrainian region had been moved to the left bank of the river. According to information from Moscow, there are a total of more than 30,000 soldiers who are now stationed south-east of the Dnipro.

The Ukrainian side had already prepared for attacks on the places that had just been recaptured. The press secretary of the southern command of the Ukrainian army, Nataliya Humenyuk, said on television on Friday that the armed forces expected “massive shelling” of Kherson. This is due to the proximity of the Russians’ new line of defense on the opposite bank of the Dnipro, she said.

On Wednesday, Russia announced the withdrawal of troops from the areas north-west of the Dnipro because supplying its own soldiers was impossible, for example due to bridges that were no longer usable. Since then, Ukrainian forces have reported a gradual advance in the region. Irrespective of the Russian withdrawal, Moscow continues to refer to the Cherson region, which it had only annexed in September in violation of international law, as its own state territory.

Selenskyj: Other towns in the south freed

The Ukrainian army had advanced further the day before and, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was able to liberate more than 40 towns in the region in the south of the country. “The number of Ukrainian flags returning to their rightful place as part of the ongoing defense operation is already tens,” he said in his daily video message on Thursday evening.

At the same time he warned of the dangers in the areas now abandoned by the occupying forces. “The first and fundamental task is demining,” said Zelenskyy. The occupiers left behind thousands of duds and ammunition. “I’ve often heard estimates that clearing Ukraine of Russian mines will take decades.” According to his findings, around 170,000 square kilometers of the country are still infested with mines.

According to media reports, the Russians left a devastated city. In addition to the television center, district heating systems and radio masts, among other things, were blown up, Ukrajinska Pravda reported. In addition, the electricity in the city had failed completely, as had the Internet.

In addition, the important and recently badly damaged by Ukrainian shelling Antonivka Bridge to have been blown up over the Dnipro River. An initially unverifiable video was shown on social networks, which was supposed to show a recording of a heavy explosion. The Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne, citing local residents, reported that the bridge had collapsed. The next river crossing for vehicles is more than 70 kilometers away from Kherson.

The massive damage to important bridges meant that Russia could no longer transport military equipment and food to the Russian-occupied areas west of the river. Several bridges over the Dnipro had already been blown up in the past few days.

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Selenskyj reacted suspiciously to the Russian withdrawal. “The enemy doesn’t give us gifts, doesn’t make ‘gestures of goodwill,'” he warned. Therefore, the Ukrainian army proceeds “very carefully, without emotions, without unnecessary risks”. Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s goal to “liberate our entire country and keep casualties as low as possible.”

Zelenskyy pointed out that the current achievements of the Ukrainian armed forces were achieved “through months of brutal fighting”. “It’s not the enemy who’s leaving – it’s the Ukrainians who are driving the occupiers away,” said Zelenskyy. “And we have to go all the way – on the battlefield and in diplomacy – so that our flags – Ukrainian flags – can be seen everywhere in our country, along our entire internationally recognized border. And no more enemy tricolors.”