UPDATE - Ukrainian president visits Kherson after Russia’s withdrawal

UPDATES WITH ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS FROM OFFICIALS

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Ukraine’s southern city of Kherson on Monday, days after Russian forces announced their withdrawal from the region and the western bank of the Dnieper River.

Zelenskyy shared photos of his visit to the city on Telegram, without any further comments.

“Today, together with President Volodymyr Zelensky, the military and the office team are in our Kherson,” Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said on Telegram.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, also said on Telegram that videos of Zelenskyy in Kherson were released after he had left the city.

Separately, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office, said their priority is to restore electricity supply to the cities and villages of the Kherson region.

“Now all the lines that supplied light to the area have been destroyed. Local authorities work together with Ukrenergo 24/7 to restore networks as quickly as possible,” Tymoshenko wrote on Telegram.

Meanwhile, several Ukrainian authorities also confirmed media reports of Zelenskyy arriving in the city through social media posts.

“Zelenskyy arrived in Kherson! You gotta give it to him. He’s ballsy,” former Ukrainian ambassador to Austria, Olexander Scherba, wrote on Twitter.

Roman Hryshchuk, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, also shared a picture of Zelenskyy waving his hand in Kherson, commenting: “Zelenskyy is in Kherson!”

The Ukrainian military entered Kherson on Friday after Russia’s withdrawal from the region.

Zelenskyy and leaders of Western countries hailed it as a major Ukrainian victory.

Zelenskyy said late on Sunday that Ukrainians are increasingly confident about achieving victory over Russia in the ongoing war.

“All of us already feel the approach of our victory. Because we preserve our unity and know that we are rightfully on our land,” Zelenskyy said in a video message posted on Telegram.