Zelenskiy accuses Russia of war crimes in Kherson

After elation in the liberated city, residents left without power or water assess the toll of eight months of occupation

- Lorenzo Tondo, Luke Harding KYIV Isobel Koshiw KHERSON REGION

After two nights of jubilation following the liberation of their city, the people of Kherson on Sunday began to assess the extent of the damage wreaked by eight long months of Russian occupation, with residents still without electricity and water.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russian soldiers of war crimes and killing civilians in Kherson. "Investigators have already documented more than 400 Russian war crimes. Bodies of dead civilians and servicemen have been found. The Russian army left behind the same savagery it did in other regions of the country it entered," he said.

He also said Russian forces had destroyed key infrastructure before retreating, while Kherson's mayor said the humanitarian situation was "severe" because of a lack of medicine and bread.

Thousands of mines, tripwires and unexploded shells have been left by the troops.

Roman Golovnya, an adviser to the city's local administration, said: "Russian occupying forces and collaborators did everything possible to make those people who remained in the city suffer as much as possible during these days, weeks and months of waiting."

The retreating Russians destroyed all critical infrastructure including communications, electricity, water, heat, a 100-meter-tall TV tower, and at least four bridges.