Russia retreats from key southern city of Kherson, Ukrainian soldiers welcomed in jubilation

Russia announced its complete withdrawal from the key Ukrainian southern city of Kherson, as Ukrainian soldiers were welcomed in jubilation by the residents.

Videos showed locals on the streets, flying Ukraine's national flag and chanting as Kyiv's troops arrived. Some sang patriotic songs around a large campfire well into the night.

Kherson was the only regional capital taken by Russia after February's invasion, with the retreat being seen as one of the biggest setbacks of the war.

Moscow announced that 30,000 personnel had withdrawn from the area, as well as 5,000 pieces of military hardware, weaponry and other assets.

The White House hailed what it called an "extraordinary victory", while Ukrainian President Zelensky called it a "historic day".

But Ukraine's foreign minister emphasised that the "war goes on" and that “we are winning battles on the ground. But the war continues."

An evening update on Friday from the Ukrainian side said troops had pushed as far forwards as the western bank of the Dnipro river.

Images also emerged showing that the main river crossing - the Antonivsky Bridge - had partially collapsed. It remains unclear how the damage was caused. The Russian troops who occupied Kherson are thought to be taking up new positions on the eastern side of the river.

The city's change of control followed a rapid Ukrainian counter-offensive in recent months, in which Kyiv said it had recaptured 41 settlements near Kherson.

In his evening address, President Zelensky said the people of Kherson "were waiting" and "never gave up on Ukraine". He added that residents had been working to remove "any traces of the occupiers' stay" from the streets, including Russian symbols.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin denied the move represented a humiliating defeat.

For weeks, the Kremlin has regarded Kherson and its locality as its own territory, after running so-called "referendums" in four occupied provinces of east and south Ukraine.

These votes were widely discredited by the international community, and Ukraine kept up its efforts to take back the affected land.

Russia's withdrawal from Kherson was announced on Wednesday by the country's commander in Ukraine, who said it was no longer possible to supply the city.

Events continued to move quickly on Friday. Initial reports that the Russians had abandoned Kherson came from locals.

Crowds of flag-waving civilians were later filmed in Freedom Square, greeting Kyiv's soldiers and chanting: "Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine!" The local television service in Kherson was also reconnected to Ukrainian broadcasts.

Troops were treading carefully amid fears of Russian traps, said Yuriy Sak, an adviser to the defence minister.

In Russia, the exit from Kherson has been played down by officials and styled as a "redeployment" - despite criticism from pro-war commentators on social media.