Zelensky had previously appeared unexpectedly in other front-line zones at critical moments of the war, to support the troops and congratulate them on their achievements on the battlefield. The video showed Zelensky greeting residents who waved to him from an apartment window and shouted “Glory to Ukraine!” The answer “Glory to the heroes!” returned by Zelensky’s group, consisting of soldiers and others. “This is the beginning of the end of the war,” he said. “We are coming step by step to all the temporarily occupied territories.” The liberation of Kherson after a devastating offensive that forced Russia to withdraw its forces from the city was one of Ukraine’s biggest successes so far in the nearly nine-month invasion and a stinging blow to the Kremlin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday declined to comment on Zelensky’s visit to Kherson, saying only that “you know it is the territory of the Russian Federation.” In this photo provided by the Press Office of the Ukrainian Presidency and posted on Facebook, Ukrainian soldiers take a selfie with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Kherson. (Press Office of the President of Ukraine/The Associated Press) After the Russian retreat, Ukrainian authorities say they are finding evidence of torture and other atrocities. In his late-night video address on Sunday, Zelensky said without elaborating that “investigators have already documented more than 400 Russian war crimes and bodies of civilians and military personnel have been found.” “In the Kherson region, the Russian army left behind the same atrocities as in other regions of our country,” he said. “We will find and bring to justice every killer. No doubt.”
Infrastructure challenges
The end of the eight-month Russian occupation of the city of Kherson has sparked days of celebration, but also exposed a humanitarian emergency, with residents living without electricity and water and short of food and medicine. Russia still controls about 70 percent of the greater Kherson region. Ukrainian police called on residents to help identify people who collaborated with Russian forces. Ukrainian soldiers pull a car out of a crater on the road in the Kherson region on Sunday. (AFP/Getty Images) Zelensky urged people in the liberated zone to also be alert for traps, saying: “Please do not forget that the situation in the Kherson region is still very dangerous. First of all, there are mines. Unfortunately, one of our swordsmen were killed and four others injured during mine clearance”. And he promised that essential services would be restored. “We are doing everything to restore normal technical possibilities for the supply of electricity and water as soon as possible,” he said. “We’ll bring back transport and mail. Let’s bring back ambulance and regular medicine.” Residents said departing Russian troops ransacked the town, making away with the loot as they left last week. They also destroyed key infrastructure before retreating to the wide Dnipro River on its eastern bank. 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. CBC News: The House12:49 Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum on the war in Ukraine Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum joins host Catherine Cullen to discuss what the end of the war in Ukraine — and Putin’s reign — might look like. The Ukrainian army has now retaken three large areas of the country in its counter-offensives – the region north of Kiev, the northeastern region of Kharkiv and now Kherson and many neighboring settlements. The liberation of Kherson came about six weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed the Kherson region and three other provinces in southern and eastern Ukraine – in violation of international law – and declared them Russian territory.
title: “Zelenskyy Calls Liberation Of Kherson Beginning Of End Of War " ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-26” author: “Jimmy Walker”
The liberation of Kherson was one of Ukraine’s biggest successes in the nearly nine-month war, dealing a bitter blow to the Kremlin. It could serve as a springboard for further advances in the occupied territories. US President Joe Biden called it a “significant victory” for Ukraine. “I can do nothing but applaud the courage, determination and ability of the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian army,” he said on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia. “I mean, they’ve been really amazing. And I think it’s hard to say at this point exactly what that means… But I’ve been very clear that we’re going to continue to provide the ability for the Ukrainian people to defend themselves.”
Don’t underestimate Russia, NATO chief warns
Large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine are still under Russian control, and the city of Kherson itself remains within range of Moscow’s missiles and missiles. Fierce fighting continued in other parts of Ukraine. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that the town of Oleshky, in Russian-controlled territory across the river from Kherson, came under heavy artillery fire. In Kherson, Zelensky presented medals to soldiers and posed for selfies with them while making a defiant tone. “This is the beginning of the end of the war,” he said. “We are coming step by step to all the temporarily occupied territories.” But he also ruefully noted that the fighting “took our country’s best heroes.” Telecommunications providers said cellphone service was being restored, and the governor said a public wireless Internet access point would begin operating Tuesday. WATCHES | Ukraine to extend race against Russia this winter, analyst says:
Ukraine will continue tough pressure against Russia during the winter, analyst says
Ukrainian troops look poised to extend their battle with Russia in the country’s south into the winter following Ukraine’s triumphant liberation of Kherson, says retired US General Philip Breedlove, former top NATO commander in Europe. The Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine won “a major victory” in retaking the city and other areas west of the Dnipro River, but the Washington-based think tank noted that it “has by no means liberated the minimum necessary area to his future security and economic survival”. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, during his visit to The Hague, warned that “we must not make the mistake of underestimating Russia.” “The Russian armed forces maintain significant capability as well as large numbers of troops, and Russia has shown its willingness to suffer significant casualties,” he said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday declined to comment on Zelensky’s visit to Kherson, saying only that “you know it is the territory of the Russian Federation.”
Torture, war crimes documented, Ukrainians say
The end of Russian occupation of the city – the only provincial capital to be captured since Russia invaded in February – has sparked days of celebration but also exposed a humanitarian emergency. As winter approaches, its remaining 80,000 residents are without heat, water and electricity, and lack food and medicine. Zelensky said the city is full of traps and mines. And Ukrainian authorities say there are signs of atrocities emerging, as in other liberated areas. Ukrainian soldiers pull a car out of a crater on the road in the Kherson region on Sunday. Ukraine’s liberation of Kherson could serve as a springboard for further advances in the occupied territories, but NATO has warned against underestimating Russia’s capabilities. (AFP/Getty Images) Russian forces “destroyed everything in their path, destroyed the entire power grid,” the Ukrainian president said. Russia still controls about 70 percent of the greater Kherson region. Ukrainian police called on residents to help identify people who collaborated with Russian forces. In Ankara, Turkey, CIA Director Bill Burns met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Naryskin, to outline the consequences if Moscow develops a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, according to a White House National Security Council official. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Burns and Naryskin, the head of Russia’s SVR spy agency, did not discuss settling the war. Their meeting was the highest face-to-face engagement between US and Russian officials since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion on February 24. While U.S. officials for months have warned about the prospect that Russia could use weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine amid setbacks on the battlefield, Biden administration officials have repeatedly said nothing has changed in U.S. intelligence assessments to suggest that Putin has imminent plans to develop nuclear weapons. In this photo provided by the Press Office of the Ukrainian Presidency and posted on Facebook, Ukrainian soldiers take a selfie with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Kherson on Monday. (Press Office of the President of Ukraine/The Associated Press) Zelensky’s trip to Kherson was another in a series of unexpected visits to front-line zones at critical junctures of the war. This was loaded with symbolism and the common touch – clearly aimed at boosting the morale of both soldiers and civilians. In one video, a visibly emotional Zelensky stood with his hand over his heart and sang the national anthem in Kherson as troops saluted and stood at attention. A soldier steadily raised the yellow-blue flag of Ukraine. People with flags draped over their shoulders cheered, cried and shouted in gratitude as Zelensky passed. “It’s amazing. We waited nine months for him. Thank you,” said resident Danila Yuhrenko. In his late-night video address on Sunday, Zelensky said without elaborating that “investigators have already documented more than 400 Russian war crimes and bodies of civilians and military personnel have been found.” “In the Kherson region, the Russian army left behind the same atrocities as in other regions of our country,” he said. “We will find and bring to justice every killer. No doubt.”
Infrastructure challenges as both sides report gains
Residents said Russian troops ransacked the city and destroyed key infrastructure before retreating to the wide Dnipro River on its east bank. 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 coming of winter complicates the situation, with NATO’s Stoltenberg saying Putin aims to “leave Ukraine cold and dark this winter”. Biden said he expected things to slow down somewhat militarily “because of the winter months and not being able to move around the country as easily.” The inhabitants of Kherson react during Zelensky’s visit. The president awarded medals to soldiers, waved to residents and promised that basic services would be restored. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters) Over the past two months, Ukraine’s military has claimed to have recaptured dozens of towns and villages north of the city of Kherson, which is a key gateway to the Crimean peninsula in the south. But the bitter war continued – with shelling, civilian casualties and each side reporting gains. The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had fully captured the village of Pavlivka in the eastern Donetsk region. Multiple Ukrainian officials have reported heavy fighting in the area in recent weeks, but have not confirmed the loss of Pavlivka. In Luhansk, another eastern region illegally annexed by Moscow, Kiev forces recaptured 12 settlements, regional governor Serhiy Haidai said.
title: “Zelenskyy Calls Liberation Of Kherson Beginning Of End Of War " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-06” author: “James Gil”
The recapture of Kherson was one of Ukraine’s biggest successes in the nearly nine-month war, dealing another devastating blow to the Kremlin. It could serve as a springboard for further advances in the occupied territories. US President Joe Biden called it a “significant victory” for Ukraine. “I can do nothing but applaud the courage, determination and ability of the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian army,” he said on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia. Large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine are still under Russian control, and the city of Kherson itself remains within range of Moscow’s missiles and missiles. Fierce fighting continued in other parts of Ukraine. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that the town of Oleshky, in Russian-controlled territory across the river from Kherson, came under heavy artillery fire. Ukrainian soldiers pull a car out of a crater on the road in the Kherson region on Sunday. Ukraine’s liberation of Kherson could serve as a springboard for further advances in the occupied territories, but NATO has warned against underestimating Russia’s capabilities. (AFP/Getty Images)
Infrastructure challenges
Zelensky presented medals to soldiers and posed for selfies with them while striking a defiant tone. “This is the beginning of the end of the war,” he said. “We are coming, step by step, to all temporarily occupied territories.” But he also ruefully noted that the fighting “took our country’s best heroes.” The end of Russian occupation of the city – the only provincial capital to be captured since the invasion in February – has sparked days of celebration. But as winter approaches, its remaining 80,000 residents are without heat, water and electricity, and lack food and medicine. Zelensky said the city is full of traps and mines. And Ukrainian authorities say there are signs of atrocities emerging, as in other liberated areas. Russian forces “destroyed everything in their path, destroyed the entire power grid,” Zelensky said. Telecommunications providers said cellphone service was being restored, and the governor said a public wireless Internet access point would begin operating Tuesday.
Don’t underestimate Russia, NATO chief warns
The Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine won “a major victory” in retaking the city and other areas west of the Dnipro River, but the Washington-based think tank noted that it “has by no means liberated the minimum necessary area to his future security and economic survival”. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Moscow should not be underestimated. “The Russian armed forces maintain significant capability as well as large numbers of troops, and Russia has shown its willingness to suffer significant casualties,” he said in The Hague. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a press conference in The Hague, Netherlands, on Monday. During his remarks, Stoltenberg warned that Moscow should not be underestimated. (Piroschka Van de Wouw/Reuters) In Ankara, Turkey, CIA Director Bill Burns met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Naryskin, to outline the consequences if Moscow develops a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, according to a White House National Security Council official. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Burns and Naryskin, the head of Russia’s SVR spy agency, did not discuss settling the war. Their meeting was the highest face-to-face engagement between US and Russian officials since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion on February 24. While U.S. officials have warned for months that Russia could use weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine amid setbacks on the battlefield, Biden administration officials have repeatedly said nothing has changed in U.S. intelligence assessments to suggest that the Putin has imminent plans to develop nuclear weapons. The United Nations General Assembly, meanwhile, passed a resolution calling for a mechanism to assess Russian compensation for damage and injuries in Ukraine. The resolution is non-binding and Russia’s ambassador said it had no legal force.
Torture, war crimes are documented, says Zelenskyy
Zelensky’s trip to Kherson was another in a series of unexpected visits to front-line zones at critical junctures of the war. It was loaded with symbolism and the common touch — aimed at boosting the morale of soldiers and civilians. In one video, a visibly emotional Zelensky stood with his hand over his heart and sang the national anthem as troops saluted and stood at attention, while a soldier raised Ukraine’s yellow-blue flag. In this photo provided by the Press Office of the Ukrainian Presidency and posted on Facebook, Ukrainian soldiers take a selfie with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Kherson on Monday. (Press Office of the President of Ukraine/The Associated Press) People with flags draped over their shoulders cheered, cried and shouted in gratitude as Zelensky passed. “It’s amazing. We waited nine months for him. Thank you,” said resident Danila Yuhrenko. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Zelensky’s visit, other than to say: “You know it’s the territory of the Russian Federation.” Russia illegally annexed the Kherson region and three other Ukrainian provinces earlier this year, in addition to annexing the Crimean peninsula in 2014. In his speech on Sunday night, Zelensky said that “investigators have already documented more than 400 Russian war crimes and bodies of civilians and military personnel have been found.” “In the Kherson region, the Russian army left behind the same atrocities as in other regions of our country,” he said. “We will find and bring to justice every killer. No doubt.”
The war continues as both sides report gains
Residents said Russian troops ransacked the city and destroyed key infrastructure before retreating to the wide Dnipro River on its east bank last week. The coming of winter complicates the situation, with NATO’s Stoltenberg saying Putin aims to “leave Ukraine cold and dark this winter”. Biden said he expected things to slow down somewhat militarily “because of the winter months and not being able to move as easily.” WATCHES | Ukraine to extend race against Russia this winter, analyst says:
Ukraine will continue tough pressure against Russia during the winter, analyst says
Ukrainian troops look poised to extend their battle with Russia in the country’s south into the winter following Ukraine’s triumphant liberation of Kherson, says retired US General Philip Breedlove, former top NATO commander in Europe. Over the past two months, Ukraine’s military has claimed to have recaptured dozens of towns and villages north of the city of Kherson, a key gateway to Crimea to the south. But the bitter war continued – with shelling, civilian casualties and each side reporting gains. The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had fully captured the village of Pavlivka in the eastern Donetsk region. Multiple Ukrainian officials have reported heavy fighting in the area in recent weeks, but have not confirmed the loss of Pavlivka. In Luhansk, another eastern region illegally annexed by Moscow, Kiev forces recaptured 12 settlements, regional governor Serhiy Haidai said.
