Russian forces destroyed critical infrastructure in the southern city of Kherson before fleeing, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Kiev’s military regained control of the southeastern city. “Before leaving Kherson, the occupiers destroyed all critical infrastructure: communications, water, heat, electricity,” Zelensky said in a video clip on Saturday. “[Russians] everywhere they have the same goal: to humiliate people as much as possible. But we will restore everything, believe me,” he said. Jubilant residents welcomed troops who arrived in the city center on Friday after Russia abandoned the only regional capital it had seized since the war began in February. Ukrainian troops have regained control of more than 60 settlements in the Kherson region, Zelensky said, adding that nearly 2,000 mines, wire ropes and unexploded shells have been dealt with so far. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine is “winning the battles on the ground. But the war continues.” Ukraine’s triumphant recapture of Kherson was hailed by the United States as an “extraordinary victory.” “This is a great moment, and it is due to the incredible tenacity and skill of the Ukrainians, backed by the relentless and united support of the United States and our allies,” said US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan while traveling to Cambodia with President Joe Biden for regional summit.
The “most decisive” event in the war
Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig, writing from the Kherson region, said Moscow’s withdrawal was the “most decisive” event in this war so far. “It boosted the morale of Ukrainian soldiers who say … now they believe they can win this war.” Kuleba, who attended the same summit, warned that Kyiv still sees “Russia mobilizing more conscripts and bringing more weapons into Ukraine.” The head of Ukraine’s National Police, Ihor Klymenko, said about 200 officers were working in the city, setting up checkpoints and documenting evidence of possible war crimes. About 70 percent of the Kherson region remains under Moscow’s control, with Russian troops fortifying their battle lines on the east bank of the Dnieper River, according to the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces. Russia established the Ukrainian city of Henichesk as the temporary administrative capital of the Kherson region after withdrawing from the city of Kherson. Although it appears to be a major Russian setback, the Kremlin insisted that Kherson was still part of Russia and did not regret annexing the entire Kherson region. Russia announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, including Kherson, in September – a step that Kyiv called illegal. Ukraine’s full recapture of the Kherson region would cut off a vital land bridge for Russia between its mainland and the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
title: “Zelenskyy Says Russia Destroyed Kherson S Critical Infrastructure News About The Russia Ukraine War " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-10” author: “Fanny Tumlin”
“Before leaving Kherson, the occupiers destroyed all critical infrastructure: communications, water, heat, electricity,” Zelensky said in a video clip on Saturday. “[Russians] everywhere they have the same goal: to humiliate people as much as possible. But we will restore everything, believe me,” he said. Jubilant residents welcomed troops who arrived in the city center on Friday after Russia abandoned the only regional capital it had seized since the war began in February. Ukrainian troops have regained control of more than 60 settlements in the Kherson region, Zelensky said, adding that nearly 2,000 mines, wire ropes and unexploded shells have been dealt with so far. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine is “winning the battles on the ground. But the war continues.” Ukraine’s triumphant recapture of Kherson was hailed by the United States as an “extraordinary victory.” “This is a great moment, and it is due to the incredible tenacity and skill of the Ukrainians, backed by the relentless and united support of the United States and our allies,” said US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan while traveling to Cambodia with President Joe Biden for regional summit. This satellite image released and collected by Maxar Technologies on November 11, 2022 shows a damaged section of the Nova Kakhovka Dam, Kherson Region [Photo by Handout/ Maxar Technologies/ AFP]
The “most decisive” event in the war
Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig, writing from the Kherson region, said Moscow’s withdrawal was the “most decisive” event in this war so far. “It boosted the morale of Ukrainian soldiers who say … now they believe they can win this war.” The head of Ukraine’s National Police, Ihor Klymenko, said about 200 officers were working in the city, setting up checkpoints and documenting evidence of possible war crimes. He urged residents of Kherson to watch out for possible mines planted by Russian troops, saying a police officer was injured while demining an administrative building. Officials also said humanitarian aid was being delivered to the city’s residents. “The situation is very difficult because Russia created unbearable conditions for people to stay and live in Kherson. And before the withdrawal of Russian troops, Russia had deliberately tried to create a humanitarian disaster,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament. “The demining process has already started and humanitarian aid has started flowing into the city. And we hope within a month to open post offices, to start giving money and pensions and salaries to workers in Kherson,” he told Al Jazeera. About 70 percent of the Kherson region remains under Moscow’s control, with Russian troops fortifying their battle lines on the east bank of the Dnieper River, according to the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces. Russia established the Ukrainian city of Henichesk as the temporary administrative capital of the Kherson region after withdrawing from the city of Kherson. Sergei Markov, a former adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, told Al Jazeera that the loss of Kherson was a blow to Russia, but that Moscow’s mobilization meant it would be Ukraine’s last victory. “It’s really embarrassing for Russia. We used to think that the Russian army is the second largest army in the world, after the United States. Probably equal to the United States. So, it’s depressing for the population, it’s depressing for the army, but we still believe that this is the last military victory of the Ukrainian army,” he said. “The main reason is that Ukraine has a full military mobilization in the spring. Ukraine is five times smaller than Russia in terms of population, but Ukraine’s military is twice the size of Russia’s. But now this privilege will end for the Ukrainian army, because 300,000 mobilized Russians will come to the Russian army.” Meanwhile, the Kremlin insisted that Kherson was still part of Russia and had no regrets about annexing the entire Kherson region. Russia announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, including Kherson, in September — a step branded illegal by Kyiv and denounced by Western countries. Ukraine’s full recapture of the Kherson region would cut off a vital land bridge for Russia between its mainland and the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
