Ukrainian soldiers report their arrival in Kherson
Ukrainian soldiers advancing on the city of Kherson, who were evacuated by Moscow forces on Thursday, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Friday of their high-risk journey and their relief upon arriving in the city hitherto in army hands Russian.
“We see pleasant and smiling faces, flowers, embroidered towels with which we welcome our vehicles”described by telephone by Andriï Jolob, commander of a medical unit which was then about fifty kilometers from Kherson.
Another Ukrainian soldier testified soon after entering the city and shared videos he recorded as he approached the city with AFP. On one of them we can see a young woman in the countryside screaming “Glory to Ukraine!” and blows kisses in the direction of the military car.
In another video, dozens of civilians greet the car with applause and bouquets of flowers, amid shouts of “Our rescuers! “near a bus stop over which the national flag flies. “It’s like this everywhere”assures this soldier who wishes to remain anonymous.
“Our enemy is skilled and dangerous. This advance that we see now and the flight of the occupiers towards the Dnieper, really came as a surprise to each of us”comments Andriï Jolob. If you experience “joy”manages his expectations and stays “suspicious”as constantly recommended by the Ukrainian authorities, who fear a pitfall in the withdrawal of Russian forces.
According to him, the omnipresent danger is that of mines planted by the Russian army before its departure and that of unexploded ordnance, which can be triggered at any moment.
