UKRAINIAN FORCES ARE HITTING THE KEY CITY OF KHERSON,
THIS AFTER RUSSIAN TROOPS WITHDREW.
A LOCAL OFFICIALS CONFIRM THAT CITY IS ALMOST UNDER UKRAINIAN
CONTROL. RESIDENTS HAVE COME OUT TO THE
CITY CENTER SQUARE AND HAVE RAISED THE UKRAINIAN FLAG.
I WANT TO GET STRAIGHT NOW TO NICK ROBERTSON WHO IS OUTSIDE
KHERSON. NICK, YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN
SPEAKING TO PEOPLE WHO I THINK ARE AMAZED, ELATED AT WHAT WE
ARE SEEING. WHAT MORE CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT
JUST HOW MUCH CONTROL UKRAINIAN FORCES NOW HAVE.
? IT >> THEY ARE GETTING STRONGER
AND STRONGER CONTROL. THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE SEEN
THROUGH THE DAY, AND INDEED THE LATER AFTERNOON WE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO SEE WHAT APPEARS TO US TO BE REINFORCEMENTS.
MILITARY REINFORCEMENTS ON THEIR WAY SOUTH TOWARDS
KHERSON. WE HAVE SEEN TANKS, ARMORED
PERSONNEL CARRIERS, WE HAVE TALKED TO TROOPS THAT ARE VERY
CONFIDENT ABOUT THE OPERATION, VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT THE WAY IT
HAS GONE SO FAR. THEY SAY THAT IT IS GOING
ACCORDING TO PLAN. WE TALKED TO THE RESIDENTS IN A
TOWN JUST LIBERATED BY THE UKRAINIAN TROOPS YESTERDAY.
THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED WITH WHAT UKRAINIAN FORCES HAVE
DONE FOR THEM. THEY WERE WAVING AT US WHEN WE
WERE DRIVING IN. THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LIVING
UNDER RUSSIAN CONTROL FOR ABOUT THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS OR SO.
THE STORIES THAT THEY WERE TELLING US WERE HARROWING.
AN OLD LADY, A PENSIONER PERHAPS IN HER 80S, TOLD ME
THAT THE RUSSIANS THAT THREATEN TO KILL HER.
TO BASH HER BRAINS IN. A YOUNG GIRL 15 YEARS OLD, HER
MOTHER WAS THERE AS WELL. SHE TOLD US THAT SHE HAD BEEN
TAKEN AWAY. KIDNAPPED BY THE RUSSIANS OVER
THE LAST FEW DAYS WHILE THEY WERE HERE.
SHE SAID THEY PUT A BAG ON HER HEAD, TOOK HER TO THE BASEMENT
OF HER HOUSE, BEAT HER, THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHERE UKRAINIAN
TROOPS WERE, AND SHE THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS GOING TO BE RAPED.
THE STORIES HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE
WITH. THERE'S A LOT OF EMOTION ON THE
STREETS TODAY. PEOPLE OUT SEEING FRIENDS,
RELATIVES, NEIGHBORS. WHO THEY REALLY HAVEN'T BEEN
ABLE TO CONGREGATE WITH FOR A LONG TIME.
VERY EMOTIONAL REUNIONS. BUT I THINK THERE IS A GENERAL
SENSE OF RELIEF. A HUGE RELIEF.
THE CITY IN A STRANGE WAY, THE TOWN OTHERNESS RIDGWAY WAS VERY
QUIET BECAUSE THERE IS THIS RELIEF BUT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. THEY HAVE BEEN SO TRAUMATIZED
BY WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH RECENTLY, THE PAST FEW WEEKS.
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF LOOTING.
THE RUSSIANS STEALING A LOT OF CARS.
WE SAW THAT THE BANK HAD BEEN BROKEN INTO AND COMPLETELY
TRASHED IN THE TOWN. SO IT HAS BEEN A VERY
TRAUMATIZING PERIOD AND PEOPLE REALLY ONLY ARE JUST BEGINNING
TO COME TO TERMS WITH THAT SENSE OF FREEDOM.
VERY HAPPY WITH THE YOUNG BOY WHO WAS THE FIRST TO RAISE THE
UKRAINIAN FLAG IN THE CITY AS THE RUSSIANS LEFT.
HE EVEN SAID BEFORE THE UKRAINIAN TROOPS ARRIVED.
AND I THINK THAT AS WHAT WE ARE GETTING A SENSE OF IN KHERSON
TONIGHT AS WELL. I THINK ONE OF THE INTERESTING
THINGS THAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE RUSSIAN TROOPS.
THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD PULLED ALL THEIR TROOPS OUT AS PLANNED
AND THEY HAD SAVED ALL THEIR EQUIPMENT.
WELL I CAN TELL YOU FROM WHAT WE HAVE SEEN HERE TODAY, THE
RUSSIANS ABSOLUTELY HAVE NOT SAVED ALL THEIR EQUIPMENT.
WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF IT BLOWN UP BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
A LOT OF AMMUNITION LEFT BEHIND AND SCATTERED.
SO THE NOTION THAT RUSSIA ESCAPED WITHOUT LOSING
EQUIPMENT, REALLY DOESN'T BEAR UP TO SCRUTINY OF THE FACTS ON
THE GROUND HERE, JULIA. >> YEAH, SO MUCH IN THEIR NECK.
I WANT TO POINT OUT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SHOWING OUR VIEWERS A
FEW HAVE BEEN SPEAKING. IT IS IMAGES, VIDEO FROM SOCIAL
MEDIA AND ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT WE WERE JUST SHOWING WAS I
BELIEVE UKRAINIAN TROOPS, THEY'RE CARRYING THE UKRAINIAN
FLAG, WALKING I BELIEVE INTO KHERSON AND BEING GREETED BY
CROWDS OF PEOPLE TAKING VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE ARE SHOWING IT AGAIN NOW. HOLDING BALLOONS, JUST TO GIVE
OUR VIEWERS A SENSE OF HOW THAT UKRAINIAN FORCES HAVE BEEN
GREETED AS THEY NOW COME INTO WHAT WE ARE CALLING LIBERATED
TERRITORY. >> ABSOLUTE EUPHORIA, JULIA.
I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF CONFLICTS AND I CAN'T REMEMBER A TIME
WHEN WE DROVE INTO TOWN AND EVERYONE WAS WAVING AT US,
OUTSTANDING AT THE END OF THEIR DRIVEWAYS IF YOU WILL BY THE
SIDE OF THE ROAD, WAVING AT US. AND WHENEVER THEY SAW THIS
COMING UP AND HUGGING THE SOLDIERS.
OLD LADIES WERE COMING UP AND HUGGING US, AS WELL.
I MEAN IT IS VERY EMOTIONAL BE ON THE RECEIVING END OF IT.
SO THESE TROOPS WHO HAVE FOUGHT HARD TO GET THEIR, WHO HAVE
BEEN EMBATTLED FOR SO LONG, THE SOLDIERS WERE TALKING TO
EARLIER. SPEAKING ABOUT MONTHS AND
MONTHS ON THE FRONT LINE, AND NOW GETTING THIS.
NOW BEING ABLE TO TAKE THE TERRITORY BACK.
NOW BEING ABLE TO LIBERATE THESE PEOPLE, NOT BEING ABLE TO
REASSURE THEM THAT THEY ARE SAFE.
AND TO BE ABLE TO BE. REPAID IS THE WRONG WORD, BUT
GIVEN A MOTION. GIVEN THAT REAL OVERPOWERING
SENSE OF THANK YOU AND OUR GRATITUDE AND WE HAVE
APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE. THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE WITNESSED
HERE TODAY. AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT WE ARE
SEEING IN SOCIAL MEDIA APPEARING IN KHERSON.
PEOPLE ARE SO RELIEVED TO HAVE SOME CERTAINTY BACK IN THEIR
LIVES. THE ACCOUNTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN
HAVING HAVEN'T RUSSIANS LOOTING.
THIS IDEA THAT YOU GO OUT OF YOUR HOUSE AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW
HOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE TREATED. A LEADER TOLD US ABOUT
FILTRATION CAMPS THAT THE RUSSIANS HAD BEEN TAKING PEOPLE
AWAY, BEATING THEM TO TRY TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE
UKRAINIAN TROOPS WERE. AND THIS WAS A EVER-PRESENT
FEAR. THE LADY TOLD ME THAT THE
RUSSIANS THREATENED TO KILL, HER THUMB TO BASH HER HEAD AND.
THIS WAS ALL PREDICATED ON TRYING TO FIND OUT WHERE
UKRAINIAN TROOPS WERE. THIS IS WHAT THESE PEOPLE HAD
BEEN THROUGH OVER THE LAST WEEKS AND DAYS.
THAT HUGE LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY. HUGE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
WHAT TOMORROW WILL BRING. WILL I EVEN WATCH THE SHOPS TO
GET THE ROUTE THAT I NEED. OR WHATEVER IT IS.
THE IDEA THAT YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CAN HAPPEN BECAUSE THE
RUSSIANS HAVE BEEN TREATING PEOPLE HERE SO BADLY IN THE
PAST FEW WEEKS. THIS IS ALL COMING OUT NOW AND
I THINK WE ARE GOING TO HEAR AN AWFUL LOT MORE OF IT AS
UKRAINIAN TROOPS REALLY TO SECURE THESE AREAS HERE.
>> THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING AND PICK, WHAT YOU SAID JUST
MOMENTS AGO ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN THE
SITUATION AND SEEING SOMEWHERE THAT HAS BEEN A COMPLEX OWN, A
WAR ZONE, LIBERATED. AND THEN THE REACTION FROM
CITIZENS THAT IN YOUR COMPARISON I THINK WHAT YOU'VE
SEEN IN THE PAST IS SO VITAL. ONE OF THE OTHER VIDEOS THAT
WERE JUST SHOWING THERE WAS A MAN CLIMBING UP TO TEAR DOWN A
BILLBOARD THAT CLEARLY HAD RUSSIAN POSTERS ON IT AND.
DECLARING THAT THIS, IS AT LEAST IN RUSSIA'S EYES,
RUSSIA'S TERRITORY. I JUST REMIND OUR VIEWERS THIS
IS ONE OF OUR REGIONS THAT RUSSIA CLAIMS TO HAVE ANNEXED.
AND EVEN NOW I BELIEVE THE KREMLIN SPOKESPERSON IS STILL
SAYING, THIS REGION AS PART OF RUSSIA.
IT BELONGS TO RUSSIA. THE IMPORTANCE I THINK ALSO OF
THIS MOMENT, AT THE DECISION OF RUSSIA TO PULL OUT THEIR TROOPS.
BUT THEY ARE STILL SAYING AT LEAST ON THE SURFACE, LOOK THIS
IS PART OF RUSSIA. AND WE HAVE STILL ANNEXED IT.
IT IS A HUGE HUMILIATION SURELY FOR RUSSIA.
>> MASSIVE HUMILIATION. WE WERE JUST IN ONE OF THE
CHECKPOINT BUNKERS THAT THE RUSSIAN TROOPS HAVE BEEN IN
JUST TWO DAYS AGO. THEY LEFT IN SUCH A HURRY THEY
LEFT THEIR CATTLE, THEIR MILK, THEIR SPOONS.
THEY LEFT IN A HURRY. THEY HAD ALSO LEFT BEHIND SOME
OF THEIR NEWSPAPERS. THIS PRO-RUSSIAN NEWSPAPERS
FULL OF PROPAGANDA THAT WERE PUBLISHED HERE AND DISTRIBUTED
AMONG THE UKRAINIAN CITIZENS TELLING THEM ABOUT HOW THEY
WERE ALL REALLY RUSSIANS, HOW THEY WERE BRINGING RETURNING
RUSSIAN SYMBOLS TO UKRAINE. ALL OF THE SORT OF NARRATIVE
THAT RUSSIA HAS BEEN FORCING ON THE PEOPLE HERE, FORCING THEM
TO ACCEPT THAT THEY WERE PART OF RUSSIA AND TELLING THEM,
THESE ARE THE REASONS THAT WE BELIEVE AND HERE ALL THE ICONS
AND STATUES AND THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO RUSSIA THAT WE
THINK ARE PART OF UKRAINE, AS. WELL AND THIS HAS BEEN BY AND
LARGE REJECTED BY THE POPULATION HERE WHO HAVE NOT AT
ALL AGREED WITH WHAT HAS BEEN IMPOSED ON THEM BUT HAVE HAD NO
WAY TO CHALLENGE IT, BECAUSE THOSE THAT STOOD UP AND
CHALLENGE THE RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES WERE OFTEN TAKEN
AWAY, BEATEN. SOME OF THEM NEVER REAPPEARED
AGAIN. WE KNOW SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN
KILLED. WE SO THIS IS A HUGE
HUMILIATION FOR RUSSIA TO LOSE THIS, IT IS A HUMILIATION FOR
PRESIDENT PUTIN. IT IS A POLITICAL.
IT IS A POLITICAL BLOW TO PRESIDENT PUTIN WHO HAS
PREVIOUSLY BEEN SEEN AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS A VERY SMART
AND CALCULATING STRATEGY TO MAKE RUSSIA GREAT.
THIS IS WHAT HE'S ALSO THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE AND WHAT THEY
ARE WITNESSING HERE, EVEN THOSE TROOPS WHO ARE LEAVING, WHAT
THEY HAVE WITNESSED HERE IS THAT IS NOT THAT CASE.
THAT THEY HAVEN'T WITHDRAWN NECESSARILY TO SAVE TROOPS AND
EQUIPMENT, THEY HAVE BEEN DRIVEN OUT BY THE UKRAINIANS.
THAT IS NOT A NARRATIVE PRESIDENT PUTIN WANTS TO BE
ALLIED AND RUSSIA. IF HIS TROOPS HAD STAYED ON
HERE LONGER, THERE WAS THE RISK THAT THAT UKRAINIANS WOULD HAVE
BEEN CIRCLED THEM. THAT THAT MESSAGE OF FAILURE
HERE IN UKRAINE WOULD HAVE GROWN BIGGER.
IF SO UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS BELIEVE THAT PUTIN CUT HIS
LOSSES AND PULLED HIS TROOPS OUT TO SAY FURTHER INVESTMENT.
BUT THIS NEVERTHELESS IS A HUGE EMBARRASSMENT AND SETBACK AND
IT HASN'T YET BEEN SPUN SATISFACTORY BY THE KREMLIN TO
REALLY CONVINCE PEOPLE, ALL PEOPLE IN RUSSIA, THAT THEY GOT
THIS RIGHT. THEY DIDN'T.
AND THIS WILL BE DAMAGING.