Photo: Ed Ram / Getty Images
Several Ukrainian cities have been dyed in the blue and yellow of the national flag to celebrate the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kherson this Friday, the only regional capital captured by Russia since the beginning of the war .
In Kherson, the soldiers were greeted with jubilation by the masses.
In Odessa, where many of the Kherson residents have taken refuge from the Russian outpost, the Ukrainians have come out with flags and banners to celebrate the triumph.
Even a newly married couple took advantage of the occasion to celebrate their marriage in front of the Odessa National Academy of Opera and Ballet Theater.
In the capital Kyiv, despite being in the dark due to power cuts, the celebration also broke out from Friday night.
News of this significant victory have lifted the spirits of the masses who gather in the iconic Maidan square in Kyiv, waving flags and banners.
On Saturday morning, several Ukrainians took out bottles of sparkling wine and toasted celebrating.
Hugs, smiles and chants were also repeated over and over again among those present.
“The end of war is in sight,” Valeria exclaimed as she danced with other young women who held a poster saying that “Kherson is Ukraine”.
At the end of September, Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of the Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk regions as Russian territories after a referendum that Ukraine and the West condemn and with They consider it a hoax.
The possibility of Russia’s counterattack and revenge looms over the heads of many, but the Ukrainians say “be prepared.”
New phase of the war
This Friday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was a “historic day”, but he was also cautious and recalled that the city “had not been completely cleared of the presence of the enemy ”.
The images circulating on social networks about the joy of Kherson and the withdrawal of Russian flags reinforce the Ukrainian conviction that not there is and there will be no other end to war than victory.
Ukrainian forces and Western journalists entered Kherson for the first time after eight months of Russian occupation. They found a city without power, water or electricity,
although there is some gas according to local officials.
Ukrainians are told that populations around the Kherson region will receive electricity from Monday next week.
However, in the city of Kherson, electricity will be restored later, probably next month, according to the DTFK electricity company.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian television has restored its broadcasts in the region and is an important source of information for locals.
In addition to the scarcity of water, Kherson is also in need of medicine, bread and other basic food, but emergency supplies are starting to arrive from the nearby city of Mykolaiv.
Once the victory celebrations are over, the war now continues with a strategic shift.
The Russian withdrawal was faster and more complete than expected. By withdrawing over the Dnipro River to prepare positions they have stabilized the front in this part of the country.
By conceding Kherson, Russia spares the lives of soldiers who might have died in a battle they couldn’t win, Jeremy Bowen reports for the BBC .
These troops and their supplies can now be deployed in any other part of the country.
It is because of that Ukraine will keep pressing NATO to get more and better weapons for the winter battles.
Remember that
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