Ukraine troops greeted with flowers in Kherson after Russian retreat - Reuters

KLAPAYA, Ukraine, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Villagers holding flowers waited connected the roadworthy to the confederate metropolis of Kherson to greet and buss Ukrainian soldiers connected Saturday arsenic they poured successful to unafraid power of the close slope of the Dnipro River aft a stunning Russian retreat.

Volleys of incoming and outgoing artillery occurrence continued to blast astir Kherson's planetary airdrome and the constabulary said they were mounting up checkpoints successful and astir the metropolis and sweeping for mines near down by the Russians.

The politician said the humanitarian concern was "severe" due to the fact that of a deficiency of water, medicine and breadstuff successful the metropolis wherever residents celebrated their liberation successful what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called a "historic day" connected Friday.

In the hamlet of Klapaya, astir 10 km from Kherson's center, Nataliya Porkhunuk, 66, and Valentyna Buhailova, 61, stood connected the verge of a rutted way holding bunches of freshly-picked flowers, smiling, and waving astatine passing vehicles carrying Ukrainian troops.

"We've go 20 years younger successful the past 2 days," Buhailova said, conscionable earlier a Ukrainian worker jumped retired of a tiny motortruck and hugged the pair.

Outside the colony of Chornobayivka, adjacent to Kherson, a Reuters newsman saw incoming Russian occurrence that looked similar a clump munitions onslaught astatine the adjacent airport. A volley of outgoing occurrence followed from the Ukrainian broadside soon after.

Reuters reporters were turned backmost by soldiers adjacent Kherson's outskirts and told it was excessively unsafe to spell further.

One serviceman was wounded portion demining 1 of Kherson's administrative buildings, the constabulary said.

"The metropolis has a captious shortage, chiefly of water," Mayor Roman Holovnia told television. "There is presently not capable medicine, not capable breadstuff due to the fact that it can't beryllium baked: determination is nary electricity."

THE ROAD TO KHERSON

The roadworthy to Kherson from Mykolaiv was lined by fields containing miles of abandoned Russian trenches. A destroyed T72 vessel laic with its turret tossed upside down.

The abandoned trenches were littered with refuse, blankets and camouflage netting. An irrigation ditch was filled with discarded Russian cogwheel and respective anti-tank mines were disposable connected the broadside of road.

In the hamlet of Klapaya, Porkhunuk recounted that for astir of the past 9 months, the colony was occupied by pro-Moscow Ukrainian troops from the Russia-occupied portion of Donetsk "who said they would not wounded us, and we should enactment successful our houses".

But for 2 weeks, Russian soldiers took implicit Klapaya and told villagers they were determination to hunt for "Nazis, and Banderites, and American biolabs," she said, adding she had replied: "If you privation to look for them, look elsewhere and spell home."

Russians troops besides warned that, "If we find that you are hiding immoderate Ukrainian soldiers, we volition level your location and the village," she continued. She said the invaders besides looted homes whose residents had fled.

Moscow describes its actions successful Ukraine arsenic a "special subject operation". It has made claims astir unsafe far-right groups successful Ukraine and unproven allegations Ukraine hosted U.S.-run bioweapons facilities.

Kyiv and its allies accidental Russia's invasion, which has killed tens of thousands and uprooted millions, was unprovoked and illegal.

In the adjacent colony of Kiselivka, a gaggle of teenagers stood connected a dust-strewn country with a motion made retired of a cupboard doorway connected which they had painted "Kherson" and an arrow pointing to a detour astir a destroyed span connected the main road from Mykolaiv.

"We are present due to the fact that we wanted to assistance successful immoderate way. So, a fewer hours ago, we made the sign," said Artem, 17.

Villagers said the Russians near connected Wednesday night.

"They didn't occurrence immoderate shots," recounted Hyhory Kulyaka, 54, who drove up connected a scooter. "They were conscionable gone."

Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Christina Fincher

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