Russian forces 'snuck out of Kherson in civilian clothes'

Thanks for following. Today's top stories included:

• Celebrations continued in Kherson after Ukrainian forces reclaimed the city, with residents saying they could finally "breathe freely" and no longer had to watch their backs
• Russia proclaimed Henichesk as the new regional capital of Kherson and said its "main authorities are concentrated there" after being forced to withdraw from Kherson city
• UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Moscow's "strategic failure" in Kherson will sow doubt among the Russian public and make them question the point of the war

• Retreating Russian forces partially destroyed a dam near the city of Kherson, which environmentalists had warned could flood downstream towns

• Murals apparently by graffiti artist Banksy appeared on bombed out buildings on the outskirts of Kyiv
• The governor of Mykolaiv province, which borders Kherson, said almost the entire region is now back under Ukrainian control

An Israeli-made military vehicle has been spotted being used by Ukrainian forces in Kherson, according to photos circulating on social media.

Israel has declined to send weapons to Ukraine but the sighting of an Israeli-made Gaia Amir MRAP suggests they have begun sending other forms of non-lethal military equipment.

Pictures are continuing to emerge of celebrations in Kherson, with crowds in the street hugging each other, drinking wine and waving flags.

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has urged any Russians remaining in Kherson to surrender.

Ukrainian officials have said they suspect that Russia may have left some soldiers behind in the city, dressed in civilian clothing.

In a post on social media that provided detailed instructions for how to surrender, Defence Intelligence told any Russian soldiers remaining  that: "Your command left you to the mercy of your fate... Your commanders urge you to change into civilian clothes and try to escape from Kherson on your own. Obviously you won't be able to...

"Every Russian soldier who resists [Ukrainian control] will be destroyed. You have only one chance to avoid death - immediately surrender... In case of voluntary surrender, Ukraine guarantees you the preservation of life and safety."

The Ukrainian railways chief says the first consignment of Kherson's famous watermelons is ready to be transported to Kyiv after the city was freed from Russian occupation.

The region is famous for its production of the fruit, which are popular in Kyiv every Autumn. Many Ukrainians have adopted the watermelon as a symbol of Kherson's liberation on social media today.

Alexander Kamyshin, CEO of the state-owned Ukrainian Railways, tweeted a picture of a freight train piled high with watermelons on Saturday, captioned simply: "Ready to go".

Russia said on Saturday there was no agreement yet to extend a deal allowing Ukraine to export grain via the Black Sea, repeating its insistence on unhindered access to world markets for its own food and fertiliser exports.

Deputy Foreign Minster Sergei Vershinin was quoted by state news agency Tass as saying talks with UN officials in Geneva on Friday had been useful and detailed but that the issue of renewing the deal - which expires in one week - had yet to be resolved.

He also said there could be no progress unless a Russian state bank that finances the farm sector was reconnected to the international Swift bank payments system, from which it has been cut off by Western sanctions.

The UN says 10 million tonnes of grain and other foods have been exported from Ukraine under the Black Sea initiative, helping to stave off a global food crisis. But it is unclear if Russia will agree to extend the deal.

It came as Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia was playing "hunger games" with the world.

Russia has proclaimed a new capital of Kherson region after being forced to withdraw from Kherson city itself.

According to state news outlet Tass, Russian authorities declared that Henichesk would serve as a new temporary capital, with an official stating that "all the main authorities are concentrated there".

Henichesk is a port city on the Sea of Azov, in the far south-eastern point of Kherson oblast.

With a pre-war population of about 20,000, it has been under Russian control since February.

A video of a woman confronting a Russian soldier there at the beginning of the war went viral.

Moscow's "strategic failure" in the city of Kherson will sow doubt among the Russian public about the point of the war in Ukraine, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Saturday.

"Russia's announced withdrawal from Kherson marks another strategic failure for them. In February, Russia failed to take any of its major objectives except Kherson," Wallace said in a statement.

"Now with that also being surrendered, ordinary people of Russia must surely ask themselves: 'What was it all for?'"

Wallace said the invasion had "only achieved international isolationism and humiliation".

But he also urged caution. "The UK and the international community will continue to support them [Ukraine], and while the withdrawal is welcome, no one is going to underestimate the continuing threat posed by the Russian Federation," he said.

Ukrainian recruits training in Britain held a two minute's silence to mark Armistice Day yesterday.

The Ministry of Defence posted photos showing the moment to social media on Saturday.

Ukrainian volunteers have been training on UK soil as part of Operation Interflex, a UK-led programme that aims to get them ready for combat.

EU chief Charles Michel said the bloc expects China to use "all the means at its disposal" to push Moscow to respect international law, days before a G20 summit that is expected to be dominated by the conflict in Ukraine.

While China remains a major trading partner of the European Union, officials have repeatedly called on Beijing to publicly condemn Russia's actions - without success so far, although Vladimir Putin has admitted that China has "questions and concerns" about the war.

"We encourage the Chinese authorities to use all the means at their disposal to convince Russia to respect internationally recognised borders, to respect the sovereignty of Ukraine," Michel told AFP.

He noted that Beijing has "often made statements supporting the concepts of international law, international cooperation".

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will meet at the G20 summit, which starts on Tuesday. Putin will not attend the summit, while Ukraine's President Zelensky will take part virtually.

Michel called the summit an important "opportunity to look each other in the eye", adding: "What is happening in Ukraine is extremely serious for the Ukrainians first of all, but also for the rest of the world."

Retreating Russian forces have partially destroyed a dam near the city of Kherson, a sabotage that environmentalists had warned could flood downstream towns and villages, James Kilner reports for the Telegraph.

A black and white video uploaded by pro-war Russian newspaper Izvestia showed the moment a huge blast hit the Nova Kharkova dam.

Read the full story for more.

As more testimonies flood in from residents of Kherson, a man named Dima told reporters: "It's freedom. Look at people, look in their eyes, they are so happy...

"They breathe freely for the first time [in] eight months, and you can't put it into words... We don't have to look behind [us] anymore, to be afraid that some Russians could come, could kill us, could hurt our families."

He added that "We will have to build our future with our own hands [now] and we are ready for it... I see the future is bright."

Residents of Kherson are emotional after being released from more than eight months of occupation.

A man called Andrew told Sky correspondent Alex Rossi that he was "feeling great, a feeling of excitement, and relief, real relief."

He described life under occupation as "horrible". "You never knew what to expect from them [the Russians] because one day they give you humanitarian aid and the next day they kill people and they arrest people and these people disappear forever in [the] local prison. Those people never appeared again," he said.

He said he was "absolutely sure" that Kherson would be liberated "but I was not sure that it was going to happen so quick".

After the recapture of Kherson, Ukrainian officials and organisations are changing their avatars on social media platforms to include watermelons.

The region is known for watermelons and sends them upriver to Kyiv every Autumn.

Drone footage from Ukraine's 53rd Separate Mechanised Brigade shows small explosives being dropped from drones onto groups of Russian soldiers, who try to flee.

Kyiv said on Saturday that the West was on its way to "joint victory" over Moscow after Kherson returned to Ukrainian hands.

"There were very few who believed that Ukraine would survive," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said as he met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"This is coming, and our victory will be our joint victory - a victory of all peace-loving nations across the world."

Blinken hailed the "remarkable courage" of Ukraine's military and people and vowed that US support "will continue for as long as it takes" to defeat Russia.

The celebrations are continuing in Kherson after Russian forces withdrew and Ukrainian soldiers reached the centre of the city, ending nine months of occupation.

Video emerging from the city shows people crying, embracing soldiers, draping themselves in Ukrainian flags and shouting "Slava Ukraini", or "Glory to Ukraine".

British graffiti artist Banksy appears to be in Ukraine, with several murals in his signature style spotted on ruined buildings in and around Kyiv.

One shows a young boy defeating an adult in martial arts. The man - who may represent avid judo fan Vladimir Putin - is thrown to the ground in the artwork.

Two others show young girls performing gymnastics on bombed out buildings.

Read the full story for more.

The US hailed Ukraine's "extraordinary victory" in recapturing Kherson from the Russians on Saturday.

"It's a big moment and it's due to the incredible tenacity and skill of the Ukrainians, backed by the relentless and united support of the United States and our allies," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.

Celebrations were continuing in the city on Saturday with footage showing jubilant scenes.

But Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba warned against complacency. "We are winning battles on the ground. But the war continues," he said.

The Ukrainian military has been seen setting up internet hotspots, believed to be Elon Musk's Starlink, in central Kherson, allowing residents to contact loved ones after weeks without connectivity.

Internet in Kherson had been largely unavailable in recent weeks, with reports that Russian forces were dismantling local infrastructure in preparation for their withdrawal.

Internet service has been patchy throughout the occupation. With mobile and internet data being rerouted through Russian networks, many were also concerned about their communications being monitored. 

Footage from Sky News on Saturday showed an internet spot set up by the Ukrainian military in central Kherson after they recaptured the city, with correspondent Alex Rossi noting that it would allow people to contact their loved ones and tell them they're OK.

“There are many stories that we’re hearing here about people who don’t know where their friends and relatives are," he added.

A resident of Kherson has described how the dream of welcoming Ukrainian forces to the city kept him going through nine months of Russian occupation.

As people in central Kherson embraced soldiers and shouted “Slava Ukraini!” (Glory to Ukraine), the man told Sky News:

“It feels like freedom at last. It feels like a big future is coming here.” He said he knew Kherson would be liberated “from the very first day” of occupation. “You have to have something which you live for and this was the moment to live for," he said.

Video footage showed residents welcoming Sky's International Correspondent Alex Rossi to the city after months of being cut off from the outside world.

The governor of Mykolaiv province, which borders Kherson, says almost the entire region is now under Ukrainian control.

Russian forces have failed to capture the province despite months of attacks.

Governor Vitaliy Kim wrote on Telegram that the entire region, save for the Kinburn cape in the south, had been returned to Ukrainian control.

"Now it's official: the entire Mykolaiv region (except Kinburn) has been liberated," he wrote.

About 30 miles away from Kherson city, Andriy Zholob, a commander of a medical unit, said they had been greeted by smiling faces and given "embroidered towels which we display on our vehicles".

"We see children running to meet us and greeting us," Zholob told AFP.