Volodymyr Zelenskyy was given a hero’s welcome during his visit to the newly liberated city of Kherson today. A cheering crowd cheered the president of Ukraine as he waved to them.
Addressing the troops and local residents in Kherson’s central square, Zelensky, who remained in Ukraine throughout the war, vowed: “We are moving forward. We are ready for peace, peace for our country.”
His visit to Kherson comes days after Russian troops were forced to withdraw from the southern city after months of occupation.
Zelenskyy thanked NATO and other allies for their support in the war against Russia and said the delivery of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from the United States made a big difference for Kiev.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Kherson and addressed troops there on Monday, days after Russian troops were forced to withdraw from the southern city after months of occupation
Local residents wrapped in the Ukrainian flag wept with joy when they saw Zelenskyy visiting Kherson today
Local residents clapped and waved at Zelenskyy in Kherson during his visit to the city
Zelensky was greeted by jubilant cheers from Ukrainians who had spent months under Russian occupation in Kherson.
Parents with children, some with prams, gathered in the main square. Some waved Ukrainian flags, others had the flag hanging over their shoulders
“I am very happy, you can see it in people’s reaction, their reaction was not staged,” he said in an opinion, which was attended by a Reuters correspondent in Kherson.
Asked where Ukrainian forces might move next, he said: “Not Moscow … We are not interested in another country’s territories.”
Minutes before his arrival, people in downtown Kherson heard shells nearby. After Zelensky finished his speech, several more artillery shots rang out over the city.
Ukrainian troops arrived in central Kherson on Friday after Russia surrendered the only regional capital it had captured since its invasion of Moscow began.
Zelenskyi said late Sunday that Ukrainian forces retaking the city of Kherson had found evidence of hundreds of new “war crimes” committed by Russian occupiers.
Ukrainians in the liberated city expressed relief after months of occupation.
The city of Kherson was the first major urban center to fall after Russia invaded in February.
Complete recapture opens Ukraine a gateway to the entire Kherson region, with access to both the Black Sea in the west and the Sea of Azov in the east.
The region was one of four regions the Kremlin announced in September would be annexed and become part of Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to use all available resources to defend them against Ukrainian forces
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