Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the entry of his forces into the city of Kherson, after the withdrawal of Russian forces from it, as a “historic day”.
Jubilant crowds greeted the soldiers, who appear to have taken over the Russian occupation without firing a shot.
Zelensky said the special forces are now in the city center, while others are waiting on the outskirts.
The Kremlin has said all its forces have now retreated to the eastern bank of the Dnieper, but continues to stress that this does not constitute a defeat.
The Ukrainian president said Kherson is “our city”.
In his evening speech, Zelensky said that the people of Kherson “are waiting” and “never surrendered Ukraine.”
He added that residents were working to remove “all traces of the remaining occupants” from the streets, including Russian symbols.
“Kherson is returning to Ukrainian control. Units of Ukrainian forces are entering the city,” the Ukrainian Defense Ministry wrote on Facebook, calling on remaining Russian soldiers to “surrender immediately.”
The Russian Defense Ministry had announced the end of the “redeployment” of its forces on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, with the confirmation of the withdrawal of over 30,000 Russian soldiers from Kherson, a strategic point of the war.
The ministry added in a statement that the forces “did not leave behind any weapons and that all soldiers crossed the river, without any loss of life or equipment”.
Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti, broadcast images of Russian military vehicles departing Kherson, noting they were crossing the Antonovsky bridge over the Dnipro River.
photo released, Telegram
Kherson residents carry the flags of Ukraine
A number of Russian correspondents said the bridge was destroyed without clarifying whether the Russian military blew it up with dynamite or it was destroyed as a result of Ukrainian attacks.
The BBC has verified video recordings showing Kherson residents celebrating the exit of the Russian army, in Tahrir Square, with Ukrainian soldiers.
On Friday, Ukraine’s foreign ministry welcomed the announcement of Russia’s withdrawal from the region, calling it a “major victory”.
photo released, EPA
The Russian Defense Ministry has announced the withdrawal of 30,000 soldiers from Kherson
Russia denies defeat
The Kremlin has denied that the withdrawal of its forces from Kherson was a “defeat”, saying the withdrawal was a decision made by the defense ministry.
As for Kiev, he commented on the development of the camp in a victorious tone, saying: “It is the second most powerful army in the world, fleeing on foot.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, before the Defense Ministry’s announcement, avoided answering journalists’ questions about the situation in southern Ukraine and asked them to address their questions to the Defense Minister, but said the Kherson region will remain “belonging to the Russian Federation.”
BBC correspondent Will Fermon Peskov asked for the Kremlin’s opinion on those who see the withdrawal from Kherson as a blow to Putin’s prestige, rather than an insult to him.
Peskov’s response was: “There are many experts, some of whom agree with what you said, and others see it differently. We don’t want to comment on the matter and the special military operation continues.”
He stressed that the Russian presidency “does not regret” the big celebration during which Vladimir Putin announced in September the annexation of four Ukrainian regions to Russia, including Kherson.
turning point
BBC diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams says that if Ukraine takes control of Kherson, it would be a major turning point in the war.
And Adams believes the winds have not gone as Russia would like in recent months, starting with the sinking of one of its major warships in the Black Sea, and the bombing of the bridge between Russia and Crimea, which raises many questions. about what the winter season holds.
The Ukrainians fear that the retreating Russian forces might set a trap for them when they return, and so they exercise caution and caution in every step they take.
On the other hand, the BBC monitoring service monitored the views of pro-war Russian commentators on social media, who expressed their shock at the withdrawal, and some of them went so far as to say which was the worst defeat Russia had hoped for since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Wagner builds fortifications
Meanwhile, fighting continues on the eastern front, especially in Bakhmut, the city that Moscow has been trying to occupy since the summer and the main battlefield where the Russian army, supported by elements of the Wagner paramilitary group, is still on the offensive.
Against this backdrop, Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin announced on Friday that his organization will train militias and build fortifications in two regions of Russia bordering Ukraine.
“The Wagner private military company is helping and will help residents of border regions (in Ukraine) to receive training, build facilities, train them and organize militias,” the Prigozhin Concorde company press office said.
The goal, according to Prigozhin, is to build “fortifications and training centers for militia members in border areas”.
