Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the city of Kherson which his forces recently regained in the south of the country, considered the biggest gain for the Ukrainian forces so far, and accused Russian forces of committing war crimes before fleeing last week.

Zelensky also said addressing the forces standing in front of the administrative building in the city's main square: "We are moving forward... we are ready for peace, peace for our entire country." Parents went out with their children to the square, some pushing strollers, others waving or wrapped in Ukrainian flags.

Also, Zelensky thanked NATO and other allies for their continuous support in the war and said that the delivery of missiles from the United States made a big difference for Kyiv. Zelensky also said: "I am really happy, and you can guess that from the reaction of the people, their reaction is genuine."

Minutes before his arrival, sounds of nearby shelling near the center of Kherson were heard, and after he finished his speech, more artillery shells were heard across the city. The residents of Kherson joyfully greeted the Ukrainian forces who arrived since Friday, when Russia withdrew from the only regional capital it had captured since Moscow started its invasion.

This withdrawal was the third major retreat in the war, and the first to witness the abandonment of such a large occupied city, amid a major Ukrainian counteroffensive through which Kyiv regained parts of its territories in the east and south.

In a televised speech broadcast at midnight, Zelensky said investigations have already documented more than 400 war crimes committed by Russia during its eight-month occupation.

In addition, Zelensky said "I found bodies of civilians and soldiers." He added, "The Russian army left behind the same brutality it left in other areas it entered in the country."