Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
hide caption toggle caption Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters A Ukrainian soldier sits on captured Russian mortars in the village of Blahodatne, recaptured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces a day ago, in the Kherson region on Friday. Ukraine’s president said special forces had entered the city of Kherson and other troops were approaching. Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters KYIV and MOSCOW — Ukrainian troops began entering Kherson on Friday after a Russian retreat from the strategic city, in a major victory for Ukraine. “Today is a historic day. We are taking back Kherson,” the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video clip. He said army special forces were already in the city and more troops were on the way. Videos shared on social media by Zelenskyy and other officials and citizens showed crowds on the street celebrating and chanting “ZSU! ZSU!” — the Ukrainian initials for the country’s armed forces. Ukraine’s recapture of the central southern city marked a major setback for Russia, just six weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared illegal the incorporation of the greater Kherson region and three other territories into the Russian Federation. The city of Kherson was the only regional capital to be captured by Russia since it launched its large-scale invasion in February. Putin has remained silent since his defense chief announced that the last Russian troops had withdrawn from the city of Kherson early Friday morning. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that Russia still retains legal control over the territory after the withdrawal. “There can be no changes here,” Peskov said on Friday.
Ukrainians tear down Russian signs
Since early Friday morning, unconfirmed videos and photos appeared online of the Ukrainian flag being raised at the Kherson city administration building and police headquarters, as well as jubilant locals in nearby villages celebrating the liberation. Several videos appeared to show Ukrainians tearing down Russian billboard signs that read “Russia is here forever.” “Even when the city has not yet been completely cleansed of the presence of the enemy,” Zelensky said in his speech, “the residents of Kherson themselves are already removing Russian symbols from the streets and buildings and any traces of the occupiers’ stay in Kherson”. Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Service said it would guarantee the rights of any abandoned Russian soldier who surrendered, under a program called “I want to live.”
A bridge over the Dnipro was damaged
A satellite image of the heavily damaged Antonivsky Bridge crossing the Dnipro River near Kherson on Friday.
Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies
hide caption toggle caption Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies A satellite image of the heavily damaged Antonivsky Bridge crossing the Dnipro River near Kherson on Friday. Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies The Russian withdrawal came amid reports of severe damage to the Antonivsky Bridge – the region’s only road crossing over the Dnipro. Satellite images released by Maxar Technologies appeared to show that a section of the bridge has been completely cut off. Russian and Ukrainian officials traded accusations over who was responsible for the damage. Earlier this week, the commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovykin, suggested plans to withdraw from Kherson during a briefing to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on national television. In what appeared to be carefully orchestrated remarks, Surovikin called the decision to withdraw to the east bank of the Dnipro River “difficult” but would allow Russia to save the lives of military personnel and maintain Russia’s combat capability. Shoigu agreed and gave the order. The initial announcement drew skepticism from Ukraine’s government, which previously expressed concern that a troop withdrawal from there could be a ploy by the Kremlin to lure Ukrainian forces into the city. Buildings damaged during fighting between Ukrainian and Russian occupation forces stand on a village street in Kherson, Ukraine, on October 30. Carl Court/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Carl Court/Getty Images Buildings damaged during fighting between Ukrainian and Russian occupation forces stand on a village street in Kherson, Ukraine, on October 30. Carl Court/Getty Images On Thursday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Reuters he believed it would take “at least a week” for Russian forces to leave the city and that Moscow still has about 40,000 troops in the area. But the Russians completed their withdrawal across the river from the city of Kherson less than 48 hours after the move was announced. The Russian setback is widely believed to be a blow to Putin’s war effort in Ukraine – a view underscored by the Russian leader’s continued silence on the withdrawal. Charles Maynes reported from Moscow, Ashley Westerman from Kyiv.
