London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Ukraine FM vows to press on after Kherson liberation

Ukraine FM vows to press on after Kherson liberation

Ukraine has vowed to press on in the fight against Russia, one day after its military retook the southern city of Kherson.
Speaking at a Southeast Asia summit in Cambodia on Saturday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the struggle to liberate his country would carry on.

"We are winning battles on the ground. But the war continues," he said. "I understand that everyone wants this war to end as soon as possible. We are certainly the ones who want it more than anyone."

On Friday, the Ukrainian army entered Kherson, a strategic port city on the Black Sea, following Moscow's withdrawal of its forces.

It was one of the first city Ukrainian cities to fall to Russia's military after it invaded Ukraine in February.

"As long as the war continues, and we see Russia mobilizing more conscripts and bringing more weapons to Ukraine, we will of course continue to count on your continued support,” said Kuleba.

Major allies of Ukraine hailed the liberation of Kherson on Saturday morning.

"It seems that the Ukrainians have just won an extraordinary victory: the only regional capital that Russia seized in this war is now back under the Ukrainian flag, which is quite remarkable," said US national security officer Jake Sullivan.

The UK branded Russia's pullout a tactical blunder, with Defense Minister Ben Wallace claiming it would sow doubt amongst the Russian public.

"Russia's announced withdrawal from Kherson marks yet another strategic failure for them," he said in a statement. "In February, Russia failed to seize the major targets it had set itself, apart from Kherson."

"Now, with [this city] also abandoned, people in Russia must be wondering: What is all this for," Wallace added.

In his nightly address on Friday, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was a moment of history for Ukraine.

“Today is a historic day. We are taking back the south of the country, we are taking back Kherson,” said Zelensky in a speech which was shared widely on social media.

"The special forces are already in the city," he added, saying that their first job would be to clear up mines left by the Russian army as boobytraps.

Kherson was occupied by Russian forces in mid-March. The region around the city, home to 250,000 people before the war, has been a flashpoint between Kyiv and Moscow, with the Ukrainian army pressing into the area for months.

The advance is the most significant development in the Ukraine war months. Russian forces retreated from the northeastern Kharkiv region in September, following a lightning offensive by Ukrainian troops.

The mood in Kyiv was jubilant on Friday evening, with locals and refugees from Kherson celebrating on Maidan Square.

“Finally my free city, the one where I was born, where I lived all my life”, said Nastia Stepenska, who was partying on the emblematic square in the Ukrainian capital.

"When they [the Russians] arrived, it was horrifying, we didn't know what would happen the next day, if we would stay alive", said the 17-year-old schoolgirl, with tears in her eyes and Ukraine's national colors painted on her cheeks.

Earlier Friday, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced at 5:00 a.m. Moscow time that it had completed "the redeployment" of its units from the western bank of the Dnieper River, where Kherson is located, towards the left bank.

According to Moscow, "more than 30,000" Russian soldiers and "nearly 5,000 units of armaments and military vehicles" were "withdrawn" from the city, ensuring that they did not suffer any losses or abandoned military equipment.

In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that his country had annexed four Ukrainian regions, which included Kherson.

Despite the withdrawal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Kherson remains part of "the Russian Federation".

"There can be no change," he added.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
×