Ukrainian soldiers are welcomed as heroes in Kherson where residents tear down Russian flags, hug servicemen and sing songs after invading forces retreated
- A sense of relief in the Kherson region as locals celebrate return of their heroes
- Russian troops withdrew from the area in a major humiliation for Putin
- The Kremlin insists that the Kherson region is still under Russian control
By JONATHAN KANENGONI FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 06:33 AEDT, 14 November 2022 | UPDATED: 07:03 AEDT, 14 November 2022
Ukrainian soldiers were given the heroes welcome in newly liberated Kherson, as residents begin to adapt to life after Russian control.
Locals of all ages welcomed the heroes back to Kherson with hugs and kisses, as the positive atmosphere spread across the region.
Flags were seen waving and crowds broke out in song to acknowledge the success of the forces in claiming back the region.
Residents said the Russians left a trail of destruction after an eight-month occupation, and an animal rights group said Moscow's forces had even stolen a racoon, wolves and squirrels from a local zoo.
There were no scenes of jubilation on Sunday, an AFP correspondent said, but many locals said they felt a great sense of relief after Kyiv had wrested back control of the city.
Ukrainian forces returned to Kherson to a heroes welcome with hugs and kisses from locals
Many were seen draped in and waving the Ukrainian flag in celebration of recapturing their region
Families of all ages were seen coming together to acknowledge the removal of Russian control
Residents queued to get food, and many adults and children walked around wrapped in Ukrainian flags.
Some gathered on the city's main square, mostly to use Starlink satellite internet and connect with relatives.
"They took everything with them. They cleared out the stores," said Viktoria Dybovska, a 30-year-old sales clerk.
"They switched off the lights three or four days ago just as they were leaving. They simply vanished overnight," added Antonina Vysochenko, 29.
Oleksandr Todorchuk, founder of UAnimals, an animal rights movement, said the Russian troops had stolen animals from a local zoo.
"They have taken most of the zoo's collection to Crimea: from llamas and wolves to donkeys and squirrels," he said on Facebook.
In a major humiliation for the Kremlin, the Russian army withdrew from the city of Kherson on Friday.
Residents got army personnel from Ukrainian forces to sign their flags and other items
Something to smile about - army personnel celebrate their return to the region with residents
Heartwarming scenes as many of the younger generation showed gratitude to those who fought back for the area
Kherson was one of four regions in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed in September.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that before fleeing Kherson, the Russians "destroyed all critical infrastructure - communication, water supply, heat, electricity."
Ukrainian television broadcasts have returned and officials said on Saturday that authorities were working to de-mine the city, record Russian crimes and restore power supplies.
On Saturday, in the formerly occupied village of Pravdyne, outside Kherson, returning locals embraced their neighbours, with some unable to hold back tears.
"Victory, finally!" said Svitlana Galak, who lost her eldest daughter in the war.
"Thank god we've been liberated and everything will now fall into place," the 43-year-old told AFP.
"We are Ukraine," added her husband, Viktor, 44.
Many residents took pictures with Ukraine's armed forces displaying gratitude for their efforts
The mood was positive - residents seemed more relieved to have got through the period of Russian control
Several disabled anti-tank mines and grenades could be seen in the settlement, which is home to a Polish Roman Catholic church, with a number of damaged buildings also visible.
While de-mining is carried out, a curfew has been put in place and movement in and out of the city has been limited, local authorities said.
The city of Kherson - which serves as a gateway to the Black Sea - was the first major urban hub to fall after Russia invaded in February.
Zelensky has said that Ukraine's forces had established control over more than 60 settlements in the Kherson region.
Ukraine's police chief Igor Klymenko said on Saturday that around 200 officers were erecting roadblocks and recording "crimes of the Russian occupiers".
He urged Kherson residents to watch out for possible landmines laid by the Russian troops, saying one policeman had been wounded while de-mining an administrative building.
A woman and two children were taken to hospital with injuries after an explosive device went off near their car in the village of Mylove, police said.
Some residents decided to celebrate the recent triumph over Russia in the area with a drink
Across the Dnipro River in the east, local pro-Moscow authorities in the district of Kakhovka issued an evacuation order to its employees to head to the Russian region of Krasnodar.
Ukraine's armed forces said late Saturday that Russian forces were "strengthening fortification" of the defensive lines on the left bank of the Dnipro.
Kherson's full recapture opens a gateway for Ukraine to the entire Kherson region, with access to both the Black Sea in the west and the Sea of Azov in the east.
On Saturday, an increasingly isolated Putin spoke by phone with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, pledging to intensify political and trade cooperation, the Kremlin said.
Shunned by the West over his offensive in Ukraine, the 70-year-old leader will not travel to Indonesia for the G20 leaders' summit next week.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hailed the "remarkable courage" of Ukraine's military and people and vowed US support "will continue for as long as it takes" to defeat Russia.
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Russia's "strategic failure" in Kherson could prompt ordinary Russians to question the war.
He said: "Ordinary people of Russia must surely ask themselves: 'What was it all for?'"
The Kremlin insists that Kherson remains part of Russia.
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Ukrainian soldiers get heroes welcome with hugs in Kherson as residents tear down Russian flags
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