‘Every murderer will be hunted down’
PRESIDENT Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday accused Russia of carrying out hundreds of war crimes in Kherson after the discovery of murdered civilians.
As the Ukrainian leader made a triumphant return to the liberated city, he told of the horrors Kremlin forces had left before retreating.
But he also predicted Moscow’s withdrawal was “the beginning of the end of the war”.
Kherson has been put under curfew with restricted travel in and out, amid growing fears that Putin’s men may be about to resume shelling after digging in on the opposite bank of the Dnipro river.
Artillery fire hit the area of Kherson airport on Sunday.
Before chatting to soldiers in the key southern city yesterday, President Zelensky revealed that the bodies of 400 civilians and soldiers had been discovered in the city. He pledged: “We will find and bring to justice every murderer. Without a doubt.”
During his visit, Mr Zelensky told his troops that Ukraine was ready for peace.
Atrocities
And he thanked Nato and other allies for their support, adding that high mobility artillery rocket systems (Himars) from the US had made a big difference in taking back territory from the invaders.
The president addressed a crowd in Kherson’s main square, some of whom waved Ukrainian flags or wore them draped across their shoulders.
Asked where Ukrainian forces might advance next, he said: “Not Moscow.We’re not interested in the territories of another country.”
Since the start of the invasion, mass graves have been found in Bucha, Izyum and Mariupol.
Ukraine has accused Russian troops of being behind thousands of atrocities.
A UN commission last month said that war crimes had been committed in Ukraine and that Russian forces were responsible for the “vast majority” of human rights violations at the start of the war.
Ukrainian authorities were last night scrambling to return basic services to those living in Kherson after the retreating Russian army blew up all major infrastructure, leaving residents without electricity and water.
Kremlin troops “destroyed all the critical infrastructure – communications, water, heat, electricity” president Zelensky said in his latest national address.
Kherson’s mayor added that the humanitarian situation was “severe” because of a lack of water, medicine and bread
And Mr Zelensky warned authorities were being forced to deal with thousands of mines, tripwires and unexploded shells left by Putin’s fleeing troops.
Roman Golovnya, an adviser to the city’s administration, said: “Russian occupying forces and collaborators did everything possible to make those people who remained in the city suffer as much as possible during these days, weeks and months of waiting.”
The head of Kherson’s regional administration said everything was being done now to “return normal
life” to the area. Speaking from Kherson city in a video post to social media, Yaroslav Yanushevych said that while de-mining was carried out, a curfew had been put in place and movement in and out of the city was being limited.
Officials in the city have also banned the use of any river transport until Saturday.
Mines
And residents who fled have been warned not to return until their homes have been checked for mines or booby traps.
Retreating Russian forces reportedly destroyed Kherson’s communications, electricity, water, heat, a 100 metre-tall TV tower and at least four bridges.
Ukrainians also accused Russians of blowing up dozens of schools across the province, further damaging the prospects of children who have already missed nine months of lessons.
Mr Zelensky said 226 settlements in the Kherson region will be restored, encompassing more than 100,000 people.
Images of residents embracing returning Ukrainian soldiers as they celebrated the liberation of towns and villages throughout Kherson continue to emerge.
But dangers still remain and a family of four, including an 11-year-old child, was reportedly killed after their car ran over a landmine in the region.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, reported the deaths on Sunday evening on his Telegram channel.
Mr Tymoshenko said the family car hit a mine in the village of Novoraisk on Sunday. Meanwhile, the UK’s Ministry of Defence yesterday said that winter will bring new challenges to both sides as temperatures plummet.
In an intelligence briefing, the MoD predicts fewer offensives, more static defensive front lines and a greater risk of weapon malfunctions.
Meanwhile, it emerged America and Russia’s spy chiefs are meeting in Turkey for talks about the war.
In the first face-to-face high-level contact between Washington and Moscow since Russia’s invasion, CIA director Bill Burns and Sergey Naryshkin, of Russia’s SVR spy agency, are discussing detained US citizens and nuclear risk in Ankara.
Ukraine was briefed, with the White House saying: “We stick to our fundamental principle: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”