Ukraine’s Zelensky visits Kherson to celebrate recapture of key southern city
KATHMANDU: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday visited the newly recaptured southern city of Kherson, the biggest prize yet won by Ukrainian forces, where he has accused Russian forces of committing war crimes before they fled last week.
“We are moving forward,” he said in an address to Ukrainian troops, thanking NATO and other allies for their continuing support in the war against Russia.
“We are ready for peace, peace for all our country.”
People in the city greeted arriving Ukrainian troops with joy on Friday after Russia abandoned the only regional capital it had captured since Moscow launched its invasion.
In an overnight address, Zelenskiy he said investigators had already documented more than 400 war crimes committed by the Russia’s during their eight month occupation.
“Bodies of dead civilians and servicemen have been found,” he said. “The Russian army left behind the same savagery it did in other regions of the country it entered.”
Reuters has spoken to residents in formerly occupied parts of Kherson region in recent days who have described killings and abductions of civilians but has not verified such reports independently.
Russia denies its troops intentionally target civilians or have committed atrocities in occupied areas. Mass burial sites have been found in several other parts of Ukraine previously occupied by Russian troops, including some holding civilian bodies showing signs of torture, which Kyiv blames on Moscow.
-Reuters
