Day 264: Zelenskyy Visits Kherson, Alleges Russian Atrocities Committed in City
Facts
- Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday visited the recently recaptured city of Kherson after Russian troops withdrew from the west bank of the Dnipro River last week. "We are moving forward," he said to troops while also thanking NATO and other allies. "We are ready for peace, peace for all our country," he added.
- Earlier, in his nightly address on Sunday, Zelenskyy alleged without providing evidence that "investigators have already documented more than 400 Russian war crimes" in the city. "In the Kherson region, the Russian army left behind the same atrocities as in other regions of our country," he said.
- While Ukrainian troops were met with jubilation when they entered the city, some residents accused of collaborating with Russian forces were seen tied to lampposts — a form of public humiliation commonly inflicted on Russian-speaking Ukrainians in Kyiv-controlled areas.
- According to Russian officials, an estimated 115K residents of Kherson evacuated the city to Russian-controlled areas prior to Russia's withdrawal, while roughly 100K residents elected to stay. The city had a pre-war population of roughly 280K.
- Meanwhile, according to Ukraine's military, six journalists — including from Britain's Sky News and America's CNN — have had their accreditation removed for allegedly breaking the rules for working in the area of hostilities. Ukraine's General Staff said journalists had "carried out information activities in the city of Kherson without the consent of the relevant commanders and public relations services of military units."
- In a separate report, Ukraine's military also claimed to have liberated 12 cities and towns in the Luhansk region on Monday. The claim could not be independently confirmed at this stage.
- In the meantime, Russian attacks were recorded in the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk in the last 24 hours with no reports of civilian casualties at this stage.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, Daily Mail, Tass, and Pravda.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Associated Press. Russia's withdrawal from Kherson is a strategic victory for Ukraine. Not only was this the only regional capital captured by Russian forces in its eight-month invasion, it sets the stage for Ukraine's advance into Zaporizhzhia while shattering Russia's hopes of advancing to Mykolaiv and Odesa.
- Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Tass. Russia's withdrawal from Kherson was the correct decision to take. Its position there was no longer tenable and it was the right move in order to protect the lives of servicemen who were at risk of being cut off.