Zelensky visits Kherson and accuses Russia of more than 400 war crimes

First modification: 11/14/2022 – 19:22

As “the beginning of the end” described the president of Ukraine, Volodímir Zelenski, the liberation of the city of Kherson, in the south of the country.

The president visited his troops and walked triumphantly through the streets of the recently vacated city, just days after Russia announced the withdrawal of its soldiers in the face of the counter-offensive and the advance of the Ukrainians to recover the only regional capital that remained in the hands of the invading military.

The head of state awarded the soldiers medals and posed with them for photos, while uttering defiant words.

“This is the beginning of the end of the war (…) We are reaching step by step all the temporarily occupied territories,” he said.

However, kyiv warns that they are discovering signs of atrocities, just like in other liberated areas.

President Zelensky reported that the authorities have found dead people in Kherson, the first city to fall into Russian hands last March, a few days after Vladimir Putin ordered the war.

Investigators have found bodies of civilian and military dead and have already documented more than 400 Russian war crimes, the president stressed.

Zelensky also acknowledged the heavy price Ukrainian troops are paying in their tempered effort to push back Kremlin forces.

The conflict “took away the best heroes of our country,” he said.

Kherson assesses the damage and continues without water or energy service

After a couple of nights of jubilation at the liberation of their city, the people of Kherson began to assess the extent of the damage caused during the eight long months of Russian occupation.

A video released by kyiv shows a visibly moved Zelensky, with his hand on his heart and singing the national anthem in front of his armed forces, as a soldier hoisted the yellow and blue Ukrainian flag.

People with badges around their shoulders cheered, cried and shouted their gratitude as the president walked through the city streets.

“It’s amazing. We’ve been waiting for it for nine months. Thank you,” said resident Danila Yuhrenko.

The end of the Russian occupation of the city, the only provincial capital its forces have taken since the invasion that began on February 24, has sparked days of celebration, but as winter approaches, its residents find themselves without no heat, water or electricity, and have a shortage of food and medicine.

In addition, the Ukrainian president pointed out that the city is full of booby traps and mines.

Stoltenberg: “We must not underestimate Russia”

The Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine had won “an important victory” by recapturing the city and other areas west of the Dnieper river. However, the Washington-based think tank noted that it “has in no way freed up the minimum territory essential for its future security and economic survival.”

An appreciation with which NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg agreed, who during his visit to The Hague warned that the attacked country should not and cannot lower its guard.

“We must not make the mistake of underestimating Russia (…) The Russian armed forces retain significant capacity, as well as a large number of troops, and Russia has shown its willingness to bear significant losses,” he said.

Over the past two months, Ukraine’s military has retaken dozens of towns and villages north of the city of Kherson, a key gateway to the country’s southern Crimean peninsula and illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

But the devastating war continues with bombings, civilian casualties and deaths on each side.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had fully captured the town of Pavlivka, in the eastern Donetsk region. Multiple Ukrainian officials reported heavy fighting in the area in recent weeks. However, they did not confirm the loss of Pavlivka.

In Lugansk, another eastern region irregularly annexed by Moscow, kyiv forces have retaken 12 settlements, regional governor Serhiy Haidai said.

With Reuters, AP and local media