Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

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.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×