Residents said retreating Russian troops ransacked the city, making off with loot as they retreated, while media reported retreating forces blew up part of a television broadcasting center and destroyed heating and electricity infrastructure. “It’s painful to watch the city being destroyed before our eyes,” said resident Tetiana, who declined to give her last name. While most people said the Russians held their own, living conditions under the occupation were miserable: electricity, water and telephone services were cut off. Bridges were blown up, making it difficult to move between villages to buy and sell food – and mines were hidden everywhere. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine has gathered evidence of at least 400 war crimes committed by Russian troops during their occupation of the region, including murders and kidnappings, in addition to widespread destruction of infrastructure. A Ukrainian official described the situation in Kherson as a “humanitarian disaster”. Reconnecting the electricity supply is the priority, with natural gas supplies already secured, Kherson regional governor Yaroslav Yanusevic said. The Russian withdrawal marked a triumphant milestone in Ukraine’s pushback against Moscow’s invasion nearly nine months ago. Over the past two months, Ukraine’s military has claimed to have recaptured dozens of towns and villages north of the city of Kherson.
