Kherson is 'ours', says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky | Russia-Ukraine war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared Kherson "ours" after Russia withdrew troops from the city, which the US hailed Saturday as an "extraordinary victory".

"As of now, our defenders are on the outskirts of the city. But special units are already in the city," Zelensky wrote on Telegram, posting footage in which Ukrainian troops appeared to gather with residents.

"We see children running to meet us and greeting us," said Andriy Zholob, the commander of a medical unit currently about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Kherson.

"We see attractive, smiling faces, flowers, embroidered towels which we display on our vehicles," he added.

Ukraine's parliament published a video of the national anthem being played in a central Kherson square as a small crowd of people, huddled around a bonfire in the dark of night, sang along before the camera zoomed in on a Ukrainian flag flying from a government building.

"The Ukrainian anthem in the center of Kherson," said the caption to the video, published on social media.

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In nearby Mykolaiv province, which Russians have failed to capture but have subjected to months of attacks, governor Vitaliy Kim said the entire region, save for the Kinburn cape in the south, was returned to Ukrainian control.

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

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 while travelling to Cambodia with President Joe Biden for a regional summit.