Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the recaptured southern city of Kherson, which Russia had occupied since March before fleeing last week, celebrating a major victory in the ongoing war. Zelensky said investigators found evidence of hundreds of Russian war crimes in Kherson. Over the weekend, jubilant crowds in Kherson greeted Ukrainian soldiers.

Natalia Koloba: “It is impossible to express in words what I feel now. Never in my life had I felt such joy as now. Our brothers, our protectors have come, and here we are free today. This is unbelievable, impossible to convey. Kherson is Ukraine, and the Ukrainian army is the best army in the world.”

Zelensky said over the weekend fighting in the Russian-occupied eastern Donetsk region was like “hell.” Kyiv is hoping to reclaim Donetsk, though it’s expected to be a particularly tough battle as part of the region is defended by long-standing separatists.