Kherson’s Liberation Is The ‘Beginning Of The End’ Of War With Russia, Zelensky Says

Topline

In an unannounced visit to Kherson Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the city’s recent liberation—following Russia’s announcement it was retreating last week—the “beginning of the end of the war,” according to multiple media outlets.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kherson Monday.

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Key Facts

“We are, step by step, coming to all of our country, the temporarily occupied territories,” Zelensky told a crowd of people in Kherson—his comments follow Russian forces retreating from Kherson last week.

Ukraine is “ready for peace,” Zelensky said, adding the country would not negotiate if it meant giving land to Russia.

In an address Sunday, Zelensky accused Russian soldiers of more than 400 war crimes, noting the deaths of several Kherson civilians and the presence of thousands of mines, tripwires and unexploded shells remaining in the city.

Yaroslav Yanushevich, the governor of the Kherson region, said Ukrainian officials would begin to restore power to the city after all mines are removed.

Crucial Quote

“We are ready for peace, but our peace for our country,” Zelensky said, according to the Washington Post. “It’s all our country, all of our territory. We respect the law and respect sovereignty of all countries, but now we’re talking about our country and fighting against Russian aggression.”

Big Number

300,000. That was the population of the city prior to the invasion. Now, Zelensky estimates the number has dropped to between 70,000 and 80,000.

What To Watch For

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be present during a gathering of leaders from the Group of 20 in Indonesia this week, according to Reuters. It is expected that several leaders will call out Putin and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said the summit “will not be business as usual.”

Key Background

Kherson, a shipbuilding city located about 340 miles from Kyiv along the Dnipro River, was captured by Russia during an assault in early March. Since the early victory and Putin’s efforts to illegally annex large parts of southern and eastern Ukraine in September, Ukraine has pushed back Russian forces across much of the Kherson region while liberating more than 75 settlements. There were early concerns about Russia’s withdrawal from the city, as Mykhailo Podolyak, one of Zelensky’s advisors, said Ukraine did not expect Russian forces to leave the city “without a fight.”