After Kherson ‘success’, Ukraine vows to push out Russian forces

Mykolaiv, November 13

Ukraine’s president vowed to keep pushing Russian forces out of his country after they withdrew from Kherson. The Russian retreat from Kherson marked a triumphant milestone in Ukraine’s pushback against Moscow’s invasion almost nine months ago.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his video address today said, “We will see many more such greetings of Ukrainian soldiers liberating Russian-held territory.” Ukraine’s retaking of Kherson was a significant setback for the Kremlin as it came around six weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of the Kherson region along with three other provinces in southern and eastern Ukraine — in breach of international law — and declared them Russian territory.

As Ukrainian forces on Sunday consolidated their hold on Kherson, authorities contemplated the daunting task of clearing out explosive devices and restoring basic public services in the city. Utility companies in Kherson were working to restore critical infrastructure damaged and mined by fleeing Russian forces, with most homes in the southern Ukrainian city still without electricity and water, regional officials said on Sunday.

One Ukrainian official described the situation in Kherson as “a humanitarian catastrophe”. The remaining residents in the city are said to lack adequate supply of water, medicine and food items. There are shortages of key amenities due to lack of electricity.

Ukrainian police have called on residents to help identify collaborators with Russian forces during the eight-month occupation period. Ukrainian police officers returned to the city on Saturday, along with public broadcasting services, following the departure of Russian troops. The deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said six people died on Saturday. — AP

Kakhovka next

• The Russian-appointed administration of , Kakhovka district, which can be next on the Ukarine forces’ march, announced on Saturday that it was evacuating its employees
• Kakhovka is located on the left bank of the Dnieper river, upstream of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station