In this picture offered by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office and posted on Facebook, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seen throughout his go to to Kherson, Ukraine, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022.

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In this picture offered by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office and posted on Facebook, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seen throughout his go to to Kherson, Ukraine, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022.

AP

KHERSON, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a shock go to Monday to the important thing southern metropolis of Kherson to rejoice its liberation from eight months of Russian occupation.

The crowd in Kherson cheered as Zelenskyy advised them, “We are, step by step, coming to all of our country.”

Zelenskyy has visited frontline areas all through the conflict, however normally in secret journeys introduced solely after he had come and gone.

This time he appeared brazenly in entrance of town’s essential authorities constructing, in a military-style jacket and clothes, surrounded by closely armed safety. He spoke and waved to residents as Ukraine marks considered one of its largest victories of the conflict.

As the blue-and-gold Ukrainian flag fluttered on a breezy day, Zelenskyy, his entourage, and lots of of Kherson residents stood at consideration as Ukraine’s nationwide anthem performed.

Russian troops close by

Despite the upbeat temper within the metropolis, Russian troops are solely a brief distance away, having retreated from Kherson on the west financial institution of the Dnipro River to the east facet. The two armies stay inside artillery vary of one another.

In his televised tackle on Sunday night time, Zelenskyy stated Ukrainian investigators have already documented greater than 400 circumstances of suspected conflict crimes by the Russian forces throughout their occupation of Kherson.

“The Russian army left behind the same atrocities as in other regions of our country,” he stated.

The Russians have beforehand denied committing abuses.

But Ukraine says it is documented hundreds of circumstances nationwide, and a United Nations report in September discovered proof the Russians killed, tortured and raped Ukrainian civilians.

Because the Russians took Kherson with out a battle firstly of the conflict, many of the metropolis’s buildings stay intact, not like different city areas which have been diminished to ruins.

However, the Russians destroyed Kherson’s vitality and waters methods earlier than pulling out final week.

The metropolis is missing electrical energy and warmth, and can be in dire want of meals, water and medication. Ukrainian navy and authorities officers are attempting to revive a way of normality in a metropolis that had near 300,000 residents earlier than the conflict.

Officials estimate solely a couple of quarter of the residents had been nonetheless in Kherson by the ultimate days of the Russian occupation.

In distinction to Zelenskyy, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not spoken publicly about Kherson because the Russia troops deserted town with out a battle.

Putin annexed Kherson and a number of other different Ukrainian areas in September, declaring they had been completely a part of Russia.

Asked in regards to the newest developments in Kherson, Putin’s spokesman Dmitri Peskov stated, “We’ll refrain from commenting. You know this territory belongs to the Russian Federation.”

NPR Moscow correspondent Charles Maynes contributed to this report.