As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the freshly liberated city of Kherson today, a euphoric mob cheered and applauded him as he waved to them.
Zelensky, who has remained in Ukraine throughout the war, addressed troops and locals in the central square of Kherson and swore, “We are advancing.” We are prepared for peace for our nation.
His visit to Kherson occurs just days after Russian forces were forced to withdraw from the city following months of occupation.
Zelensky hailed NATO and other partners for their assistance in the war against Russia and noted that the United States’ shipment of high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) had made a significant impact for Kyiv.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited and addressed troops in Kherson, days after Russian forces were forced to withdraw from the southern city following months of occupation.
Locals, clad in the Ukrainian flag, wept with joy upon seeing Zelensky today during his visit to Kherson.
Residents of Kherson applauded and waved to Zelensky during his visit to the city.
Zelensky was greeted with ecstatic cheers by Ukrainians in Kherson who had endured months of Russian occupation.
In the town plaza, parents with children, some pushing baby carriages, congregated. Some displayed Ukrainian flags while others wore them draped across their shoulders.
In remarks overheard by a Reuters correspondent in Kherson, he stated, “I’m genuinely thrilled, you can tell by the reaction of the people, their reaction is not faked.”
When asked where Ukrainian soldiers could advance next, he responded, “Not Moscow…
We have no interest in the territories of other nations.
People in the center of Kherson could hear neighboring shelling just minutes before he arrived. After Zelenskiy concluded his speech, additional artillery firing boomed throughout the city.
On Friday, Ukrainian forces landed in the city center of Kherson, after Russia abandoned the only regional capital it has seized since Moscow’s invasion.
Zelensky stated late Sunday that Ukrainian forces that recaptured the city of Kherson discovered evidence of hundreds of new “war crimes” committed by Russian occupiers.
The liberated city’s inhabitants expressed relief at the end of months of occupation.
Kherson was the first major urban center to fall to the Russian invasion in February.
Its complete recapture provides Ukraine with access to the entire Kherson region, as well as the Black Sea in the west and the Sea of Azov in the east.
The region was one of four announced by the Kremlin in September to have been annexed and become part of Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to defend them with all available means from Ukrainian forces.