Ukrainian flag hoisted in Kherson as Russian military withdraws

As Russian forces flee the largest city it captured, Ukrainian soldiers have now entered Kherson and raised the country’s flag.

The Ukrainian flag is once again flying over the city of Kherson days after Russia’s forces fled the only regional capital Moscow had managed to capture since its invasion earlier this year.

Pictures on social media have shown the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine hanging from lampposts and buildings after the Kremlin withdrew its military to the other side of the Dnipro river.

The abandonment of Kherson, in the country’s south, will come as a deep embarrassment to Russian President Vladimir Putin who left the announcement of Moscow’s withdrawal to his ministers.

Video from Kherson has shown people cheering in the streets and embracing Kyiv’s troops. People have began tearing down Russian propaganda on billboards including one that read “Russia is here forever”.

An aerial view of the city of Kherson in May. Russian forces are now said to be on the opposing bank out of the city proper. (Photo by Andrey BORODULIN / AFP)

Ukraine, Ukrainian said on Friday that its forces were entering Kherson after Russia announced its troops had retreated to defensive positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro river.

“Kherson is returning to Ukrainian control and units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are entering the city,” the Ukrainian defence ministry said on social media.

“The retreat routes of the Russian invaders are under fire control of the Ukrainian army. Any attempts to oppose the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be stopped.”

A powerful symbol of a desire for a different future: Residents of newly-liberated Kherson fly the EU flag alongside the Ukrainian flag.

🇪🇺 🤝 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/kMtJIQhNP0

— Gareth (@agdeanamhrudai) November 11, 2022

Residents of #Kherson are rushing to the streets with #Ukrainian flags. We will never forget the price 🇺🇦defenders pay for every inch of the liberated territory. We will also never forget every #russian crime against Ukrainians.
Glory to🇺🇦heroes who daily put their lives at risk. pic.twitter.com/noe6mpQJBx

— UKR Embassy in FIN (@UA_Emb_FI) November 11, 2022

“Russia is forever here”, said a poster in Bilozerka near Kherson. Well, not really!

To everyone in the world, including ASEAN where I currently am: Ukraine is gaining another important victory right now and proves that whatever Russia says or does, Ukraine will win. pic.twitter.com/8bc4JGNajX

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) November 11, 2022

Russia’s position in Kherson has become increasingly precarious as Ukraine advanced.

The city is on the banks of a wide river with only a small number of crossings most of which have been destroyed.

Putin’s troops were finding it increasingly difficult to be supplied by river barges and risked being isolated.

But the Kremlin said Friday that the city of Kherson was still part of Russia even though its troops had retreated.

“This is a subject of the Russian Federation. There are no changes in this and there cannot be changes,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, after defence officials in Moscow this week announced the draw down of forces.

In Russia, the move is being called a “redeployment” rather than a withdrawal.

Russian forces shelled the nearby Ukrainian held city of Mykolaiv as they were leaving Kherson. At least seven people died.

Ukrainian officials have remained wary after Moscow signalled late on Wednesday that it would pull forces from the west bank of the Dnipro river in Kherson, in what would be a major Russian setback in a region Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed.

Asked by reporters whether Russia now regretted annexing Kherson, Peskov said the Kremlin had “no regrets” about the move.

Kherson was the first major urban hub to fall to Russian troops after President Vladimir Putin announced Moscow’s “special military operation” in Ukraine, and it was the only regional capital his forces captured.

– with AFP.