Defiant Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to rebuild infrastructure in Kherson after Russian troops attacked a dam before fleeing, some dressed as civilians.
As Ukrainian soldiers were greeted by jubilant crowds in Kherson city, Mr Zelensky said authorities would “restore everything” damaged by Kremlin forces during their nine-month occupation.
He told people in cities and villages still under occupation: “We don’t forget anyone – we won’t leave anyone.”
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, UK Chief of the Defence Staff, said Russia was failing “dramatically” in its war against Ukraine.
He said: “We’re seeing a continued failure by Russia. We saw that at the outset. Russia wanted to take the cities, it failed. Russia wanted to subjugate Ukraine, it’s failed, and it’s failing dramatically.
“Russia wanted to weaken NATO and NATO is even stronger. If you come down to the tactical fight, we see continued success by Ukraine.”
Vladimir Putin ’s retreating army has been condemned for its “reckless” attack on a dam near Kherson amid fears it could damage Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
Russian troops detonated explosives at a bridge that runs along the top of the Nova Kakhovka dam.
Experts warn if the dam were destroyed, it would drain the reservoir which supplies cooling water for the Zaporizhzhia plant, as well as flooding hundreds of thousands of homes.
Ukrainian officials warned “the war is not over” as the celebrations continued across the country over the retaking of Kherson city, the only regional capital occupied since the invasion in February.
But despite the blow to Moscow’s ambitions, officials remain cautious.
Yuriy Sak, an adviser to the Ukrainian defence minister, warned it was “too early to relax”. He said: “We always believed that we would liberate Kherson. We are confident that now Russians are beginning to believe that they will never be able to win this war.
“We see the panic in their ranks. We see the panic in their propaganda machine.
“But of course, this is a very important moment, but... this war is far from over.”
Around 70,000 to 80,000 people live in Kherson now, out of a pre-war population of 320,000.
Before fleeing, the Russian forces destroyed all critical infrastructure for communications, and water, heat and electricity supplies.
It is not clear when electricity will be restored to the city. Power cuts prevented Kherson’s bakeries from making bread.
In social media footage, one unidentified Russian soldier told how one unit retreating from Kherson had been ordered to “change into civilian clothing and f*** off any way you want”.
Ukrainian forces face the huge task of defusing mines and booby-traps left by the Russians in and around Kherson.
