According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in Kherson at the time, the liberation of the city signifies the “beginning of the end” of the country’s conflict with Russia. He informed the soldiers that Ukraine is “going forward” and prepared for peace. Despite Moscow’s insistence that it is still Russian territory, losing the southern city was a big loss for Russia.
It was the only regional capital to have been taken since the invasion and was designated by Russia as the heart of the illegitimately annexed Kherson region. Weeks after the invasion started in March, Kherson was taken, prisoner. Afterward, the region was one of four that were forcibly annexed after phony referendums in September.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, declared the annexation of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson to be “non-negotiable” during a ceremony in Moscow. The 2014-seized cities of Donetsk and Luhansk are still under Russian control.
Ukraine has made progress in the country’s south over the past few weeks, moving closer to Kherson and applying more pressure on Russian forces. Russian troops left last week, and on Friday, Ukrainian troops arrived in the city. Locals were seen reuniting with loved ones they hadn’t seen in months as they celebrated. According to Jeremy Bowen of the BBC, the city was filled with relief and joy, but there was also some anxiety.
The Ukrainian national song was sung by Mr. Zelensky during his visit on Monday as the flag of the nation was raised over the main administrative building. According to the Reuters news agency, he addressed the troops that Ukraine is “ready for peace, peace for all our land.” He expressed gratitude to NATO and other partners for their assistance and added that high-mobility artillery rocket systems (Himars) from the US had significantly contributed.
