Ukrainian soldiers get heroes welcome with hugs in Kherson as residents tear down Russian flags
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Ukrainian soldiers welcomed the heroes to newly liberated Kherson as the residents begin to adjust to life after Russian control.
Locals of all ages welcomed the heroes back to Kherson with hugs and kisses as the positive vibe spread across the region.
Flags were seen waving and crowds erupted into chants to acknowledge the success of the armed forces in reclaiming the region.
Local residents took photos with army personnel and were even allowed to sign items, including flags, to show their gratitude for their efforts to restore the region to Ukrainian hands.
Residents said the Russians left a trail of destruction after an eight-month occupation, and an animal rights group said Moscow troops even stole a raccoon, wolves and squirrels from a local zoo.
There were no scenes of cheers on Sunday, an AFP correspondent said, but many local residents said they felt a great sense of relief after Kiev regained control of the city.
Ukrainian troops returned to Kherson for a hero’s welcome with hugs and kisses from locals
Many were seen draped and waving the Ukrainian flag in celebration of the reconquest of their region
Families of all ages came together to recognize the removal of Russian control
Residents lined up to get food and many adults and children walked around wearing Ukrainian flags.
Some gathered in the city’s main square, mostly to use Starlink satellite internet and connect with relatives.
“They took everything. They emptied the stores,” said Viktoria Dybovska, a 30-year-old saleswoman.
“They turned off the lights three or four days ago, just as they were leaving. They just disappeared overnight,” added 29-year-old Antonina Vysochenko.
Oleksandr Todorchuk, founder of UAnimals, an animal rights movement, said Russian troops had stolen animals from a local zoo.
“They have brought most of the zoo’s collection to Crimea: from llamas and wolves to donkeys and squirrels,” he said on Facebook.
In great humiliation for the Kremlin, the Russian army withdrew from the city of Kherson on Friday.
Residents made Ukrainian army personnel sign their flags and other items
Something to laugh 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 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 — communications, water supply, heat, electricity.”
Ukrainian television broadcasts have returned, and officials said on Saturday that authorities were busy clearing the city, recording Russian crimes and restoring power.
On Saturday, in the formerly occupied village of Pravdyne, outside Kherson, returning locals hugged their neighbors, with some unable to hold back tears.
“Victory, at last!” said Svitlana Galak, who lost her eldest daughter in the war.
“Thank God we have been liberated and now everything is falling into place,” the 43-year-old told AFP.
“We are Ukraine,” added her husband, Viktor, 44.
Many residents took pictures with the Ukrainian armed forces as a token of gratitude for their efforts
The mood was positive – residents seemed more relieved to have made it through the period of Russian control
Several disabled anti-tank mines and grenades were seen in the settlement, which is home to a Polish Roman Catholic church, which also has a number of damaged buildings.
While mining is underway, a curfew has been imposed and traffic in and out of the city has been restricted, 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 Ukrainian forces were in control of more than 60 settlements in the Kherson region.
Ukrainian police chief Igor Klymenko said on Saturday that about 200 officers set up roadblocks and recorded “crimes committed by the Russian occupiers”.
He urged Kherson residents to watch out for possible landmines laid by Russian forces, and said a police officer was injured while clearing 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 to the east, local pro-Moscow authorities in Kakhovka district issued an evacuation order for their workers to move to Russia’s Krasnodar region.
Ukrainian forces said late Saturday that Russian troops are “reinforcing” defense lines on the left bank of the Dnipro.
The complete recapture of Kherson 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 to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi by phone, promising to step up political and trade cooperation, the Kremlin said.
The 70-year-old leader, shunned by the West for his offensive in Ukraine, will not travel to Indonesia next week for the G20 leaders’ summit.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised the “remarkable courage” of the Ukrainian military and people and vowed that US support will continue “as long as it takes” to defeat Russia.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Russia’s “strategic failure” in Kherson could lead ordinary Russians to question the war.
He said: “Ordinary people in Russia should certainly ask themselves, ‘What was it all for?'”
The Kremlin urges Kherson to remain part of Russia.