Ukraine updates: Kherson is 'ours,' says Zelenskyy - DW (English)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said the confederate metropolis of Kherson was "ours" aft Russia announced its withdrawal was complete.

"Our people. Ours. Kherson," Zelenskyy wrote connected Telegram. "Today is simply a historical day. We are taking backmost Kherson."

He said that peculiar units of the equipped forces were wrong Kherson and that different Ukrainian troops were approaching from the outskirts.

"The radical of Kherson person been waiting. They ne'er gave up connected Ukraine," Zelenskyy added aboriginal successful a video address. "It volition beryllium the aforesaid successful the cities that are inactive waiting for america to instrumentality them back."

His announcement came arsenic videos posted to societal media showed jubilant crowds of locals celebrating in the streets and greeting Ukrainian soldiers arsenic they rolled into the city. 

Ukrainian and European Union flags could besides beryllium seen raised implicit a monument successful Kherson's main square.

Earlier, Ukraine's quality spokesperson Andriy Yusov told The Associated Press that "an cognition to liberate Kherson" and the surrounding portion of the aforesaid sanction was underway.

Russia has abandoned the lone determination superior it had captured since its penetration successful FebruaryImage: Cover-Images/IMAGO

The retreat by Russian forces marks a important setback for Moscow, arsenic Kherson metropolis was the lone large Ukrainian determination capital to autumn into Russian hands since the commencement of the war. The portion is besides a strategical gateway to the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed illegally successful 2014. 

"Ukraine is gaining different important triumph close present and proves that immoderate Russia says oregon does, Ukraine volition win," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. 

The White House called the recapturing of the metropolis a "remarkable thing" for Ukraine. 

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that "It does look arsenic though the Ukrainians person conscionable won an bonzer triumph wherever the 1 determination superior that Russia had seized successful this warfare is present backmost nether a Ukrainian flag."

Here are the different main headlines from the warfare successful Ukraine connected Friday, November 11:

Conflicting reports astir Russian retreat 

Ahead of Ukraine's forces entering the metropolis of Kherson, Russia's Defense Ministry announced that each its troops had pulled out. It said 30,000 troops had been transferred crossed to the left bank of the Dnipro River without losing a azygous worker and leaving "not a azygous portion of subject equipment."

But Ukraine's defence quality portion disputed this, saying successful a tweet that much than fractional of the Russian forces that had been stationed connected the river's close slope were inactive there.    

Moscow announced earlier this week that it planned to retreat its forces from the Dnipro's right bank, wherever Kherson metropolis is located.

Ukrainian officials had expressed skepticism astatine the announcement and said it would apt instrumentality days, if not weeks, for Russian troops to afloat retreat from Kherson. 

Germany to nonstop much aerial defence assistance to Ukraine: Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Berlin's priority in helping Ukraine should beryllium bolstering aerial raid defenses successful cities and rebuilding infrastructure.

"Russia is bombing Ukraine's vigor infrastructure. Russia wants to marque definite radical successful Ukraine can't past the wintertime cold," helium said successful an on-stage interrogation with RND newspapers. 

"We are presently discussing with galore German companies what they tin bash to antagonistic this destruction."

Scholz added that the aerial defence systems Germany had provided frankincense acold had played an important role, and that Berlin would enactment with its partners to nonstop more. 

Earlier, the German chancellor agreed successful a telephone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that more air defence systems would beryllium supplied. 

Scholz besides told the assemblage that helium believed Russian President Vladimir Putin had agelong been planning to invade Ukraine.

"I'm convinced Putin decided connected this warfare 2 years ago," helium said. "We saw the unit build-up ... We hoped it was conscionable threatening gestures, but it wasn't: it was a warfare agelong successful the planning."

Russia bars entry to 200 US nationals, including Biden's relatives

Moscow says it has banned entry to 200 US citizens, including President Joe Biden's siblings and a fig of senators.

The measurement is simply a effect to Washington's sanctions implicit Russia's warfare successful Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the database of individuals included officials, their adjacent relatives, heads of companies and experts "involved successful the promotion of the Russophobic run and enactment for the authorities successful Kyiv."

Among those blacklisted are Biden's sister Valerie and brothers James and Francis, White House property caput Karine Jean-Pierre, and senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

They articulation the much than 1,000 US citizens already barred from entering the country. 

Russian onslaught kills 5 successful Mykolaiv, politician says 

A determination politician said astatine slightest 5 radical were killed aft a Russian onslaught deed a residential gathering successful the confederate Ukrainian metropolis of Mykolaiv.

"A onslaught astatine a five-story residential building. Destroyed from the 5th to the 1st floor," Mykolaiv's determination governor, Vitaliy Kim, wrote connected societal media. 

Russian forces person repeatedly struck the metropolis for months. Zelenskyy said the latest onslaught was a "cynical effect to our successes astatine the front," successful an evident notation to Ukraine's advances successful the Kherson region. 

Strategic span adjacent Kherson collapses: reports

Ukraine's nationalist broadcaster reported that the already damaged Antonivskiy span collapsed. 

The strategical span was the lone roadworthy crossing from Kherson to the Russian-controlled eastbound slope of the Dnipro River.

The authorities of the bridge, and the timing of its reported collapse, could assistance find whether Russian forces did retreat from Kherson metropolis oregon not. 

Russian media reports suggested that the span was bombed aft Russian troops retreated.

But a Russian-installed authoritative successful the Kherson portion told the Interfax that the span hadn't been blown up and was "in the aforesaid condition." 

UN and Russian officials sermon atom woody extension

UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci said talks betwixt Russian officials and UN chiefs were underway successful Geneva successful a bid to widen a woody connected atom exports.

"It is hoped that the discussions volition beforehand advancement made successful facilitating the unimpeded export of nutrient and fertilizers originating from the Russian Federation to the planetary markets," Vellucci said. 

The UN is seeking to renew a Black Sea statement connected exporting atom from Ukraine acceptable to expire connected November 19. 

Moscow has complained that different statement that exempts Russian fertilizers from sanctions is "not being respected." That woody runs for 3 years. 

EU, partners hold €1 cardinal to amended Ukraine export routes

The European Union has pledged €1 cardinal ($1.04 billion) boost to efforts to export Ukraine's atom harvest via alternate freight routes to the Black Sea ports.

The European Commission, European Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank volition put the funds to amended and grow alleged "Solidarity Lanes."

The investments volition grow onshore and inland waterway transport betwixt Ukraine and the neighboring countries of Poland, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia and Hungary. 

They besides let Kyiv to bring successful substance oregon humanitarian assistance to the country.

Before the war, Ukraine had chiefly traded via its ample Black Sea ports but they were blockaded by Moscow's forces erstwhile the penetration began.

In July, a UN- and Turkish-brokered woody helped the travel of atom shipments to restart. However, the indispensable information guarantees are not successful spot for different goods.

"Where Russia sowed destruction, Europe restored hope," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, announcing the further backing connected societal media.

mm, fb/wmr (AFP, AP, Reuters)