Ukraine war: Celebrations as Kyiv takes back key city Kherson

Ukrainian soldiers person been welcomed into Kherson by jubilant residents, aft Russia said it had afloat withdrawn from the cardinal confederate city.

Video showed locals connected the streets, flying Ukraine's nationalist emblem and chanting arsenic Kyiv's troops arrived.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kherson was "our city".

Kherson was the lone determination superior taken by Russia aft February's invasion. The retreat has been seen arsenic 1 of its biggest setbacks of the war.

Moscow said 30,000 unit had been taken retired of the country - arsenic good arsenic astir 5,000 pieces of subject hardware, weaponry and different assets.

An evening update from the Ukrainian broadside said troops had pushed arsenic acold forwards arsenic the occidental slope of the Dnipro river.

Images emerged connected Friday showing that the main stream crossing - the Antonivsky Bridge - had partially collapsed. It remains unclear however the harm was caused.

The Russian troops who occupied Kherson are thought to beryllium taking up caller positions connected the eastbound broadside of the river.

A Kherson nonmigratory described his "overwhelming" emotions arsenic radical emerged singing and dancing onto the streets.

Alexei Sandakov revealed his afloat sanction to the BBC, having antecedently referred to himself lone arsenic "Jimmy". He said Kherson was "free now. It's different. Everyone is crying since this morning".

He added that "everybody wanted to embrace" the arriving Ukrainian soldiers.

The city's alteration of power followed a accelerated Ukrainian counter-offensive successful caller months, successful which Kyiv said it had recaptured 41 settlements adjacent Kherson.

In his evening address, President Zelensky said the radical of Kherson "were waiting" and "never gave up connected Ukraine".

He added that residents had been moving to region "any traces of the occupiers' stay" from the streets, including Russian symbols.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin denied the determination represented a humiliating defeat.

For weeks, the Kremlin has regarded Kherson and its locality arsenic its ain territory, aft moving alleged "referendums" successful 4 occupied provinces of eastbound and southbound Ukraine.

These votes were wide discredited by the planetary community, and Ukraine kept up its efforts to instrumentality backmost the affected land.

Events continued to determination rapidly connected Friday. Initial reports that the Russians had abandoned Kherson came from locals.

Crowds of flag-waving civilians were aboriginal filmed successful Freedom Square, greeting Kyiv's soldiers and chanting: "Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine!"

On Friday afternoon, Alexei Sandakov appeared to beryllium inactive adapting to the caller concern connected the ground, commenting: "No-one is going to slumber tonight."

Shortly aft 16:00 section clip (14:00 GMT), a Ukrainian authoritative said his troops were "almost afloat successful control" of Kherson, arsenic good arsenic the wider tranche of onshore to the westbound of the Dnipro river.

Troops were treading cautiously amid fears of Russian traps, said Yuriy Sak, an advisor to the defence minister.

Mr Sak told the BBC that immoderate force soldiers were believed to beryllium lingering successful the city, had formed disconnected their uniforms and were trying to disguise themselves arsenic civilians. He urged them to surrender.

He hailed Kherson's recapture arsenic a large triumph comparable to his side's palmy efforts earlier successful the warfare to thrust Russian troops distant from different municipality centres - namely Kyiv, Chernihiv and Kharkiv.

But helium said helium remained "cautious", citing the anticipation of Russian retaliations, and referring to a rocket onslaught successful Mykolaiv earlier successful the day, which allegedly killed astatine slightest 7 people.

Mr Sak vowed to retake further territory from Russia, including onshore that has been occupied by the neighbouring state since 2014.

In Russia, the exit from Kherson has been played down by officials and styled arsenic a "redeployment" - contempt disapproval from pro-war commentators connected societal media.

Mr Putin was notably absent from Wednesday's announcement by the subject that Russian forces were leaving the metropolis they had snatched, virtually unopposed, successful the aboriginal stages of the war.