The Ukrainian army began entering Kherson, a major city in the south of the country, on Friday after the withdrawal of Russian troops, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in another major setback for Moscow almost nine months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Friday in his daily social media appearance a “historic day” and said special forces were inside the southern city of Kherson after Russia announced it was withdrawing its forces.
“Today is a historic day. We are returning Kherson,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
“At the moment, our defenders are on the outskirts of the city. But there are special forces in the city,” he explained.
“Our people. Our. Kherson,” he added, along with a Ukrainian flag emoji and amateur scenes from the city, in which Ukrainian troops gather together with the inhabitants of the city.
In one of the videos that Zelenskiy posted and said he filmed from Kherson, Ukrainian soldiers say they are from the “28th Brigade” while the crowd chant “VKU,” an acronym for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine wrote on Facebook: “Kherson is returning under the control of Ukraine. Units of Ukrainian forces are entering the city,” calling on the Russian soldiers remaining in the city to “surrender immediately.”
