“We are ready for peace throughout the country”

The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, has left kyiv to visit the liberated city of Kherson on Monday, where – he denounces – Russian troops have committed new war crimes. Normality will take a long time to return, even the reconstruction. Before, two priorities: locate each one of the mines that the invader has left in his flight and restore light and water in a large part of the homes.

Kherson’s is the greatest victory. Josep Borrell, head of European diplomacy, has described it as a “turning point” in the war and Zelenski also sees it that way, after long weeks of reconquest and withdrawal of the enemy. “We are advancing”, he said upon his arrival, greeted with applause by the residents, with gestures of euphoria. “We are ready for peace for our entire country,” the leader proclaimed.

[‘Mariúpol Reborn’: 5 pasos y 14.500 millones para revivir la ciudad que Putin ha reducido a escombros]

Zelenski has had words of thanks to NATO and the rest of the allies for their continued support. He acknowledges that the delivery of rockets from the United States has made a big difference in tipping the balance. This has not prevented all the damage and there are “corpses of civilians and soldiers”, the work of the “savagery of the Russian army that also left other regions of the country”.

Minutes before his arrival, bombardments were heard near the center and as he left, various artillery bursts resounded in the city, reminding us of the fragility of the achievement and the need to continue fighting.

Mined and without light or water

Kherson (south), occupied on March 2, was one of the Ukrainian regions -along with neighboring Zaporizhia and eastern Donetsk and Lugansk- illegally annexed by Russia, without Moscow having at any time achieved full control over their territories.

With his presence in Kherson, Zelensky reinforces his image at the head of the resistance, as he did in Izium (Kharkov) in September, or in October by recording himself outdoors while the Kremlin bombed kyiv and kamikaze drones fell a few meters from his residence. Mainly, as he did already in the first hours of the invasion, in February, when he determined that under no circumstances would he abandon his people.

[El Grupo Wagner ejecuta a un desertor a martillazos para amedrentar a los “traidores” de Rusia]

The military command of the Kherson region, Jaroslav Yanushevich, He has warned these last hours of the danger of stepping on the street, although he understands the impulse to celebrate the new situation: “People come out with flags, express their joy and gratitude to our soldiers, but I want to warn everyone that demining is underway in almost the entire city.”

Before leaving Kherson, the Russians – Zelensky recalled in his last night message addressed to the nation – “destroyed all the critical infrastructure: communication, water supply, heating and electricity”.