KHERSON, Ukraine (AP) — Residents of Kherson celebrated the end of Russia’s eight-month occupation for the third straight day Sunday, even as they took stock of the extensive damage left behind in the southern Ukrainian city by the Kremlin’s retreating forces.
A jubilant crowd gathered in Kherson’s main square, despite the distant thumps of artillery fire that could be heard as Ukrainian forces pressed on with their effort to push out Moscow’s invasion force.
PHOTOS: Joy, hope in Kherson’s streets as residents celebrate liberation
“It’s a new year for us now,” said Karina Zaikina, 24, who wore on her coat a yellow-and-blue ribbon in Ukraine’s national colors. “For the first time in many months, I wasn’t scared to come into the city.”
“Finally, freedom!” said 61-year-old resident Tetiana Hitina. “The city was dead.”
But even as…
