MYKOLAIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces swept into the important thing southern metropolis of Kherson on Friday after Russia stated its army had finished a fast retreat from the area — a humiliating setback for President Vladimir Putin and a first-rate improvement withinside the strugglefare. As jubilant civilians flocked to the metropolis's valuable rectangular to greet advancing squaddies, Kyiv stated its forces had been taking manipulate and warned any last occupying troops to give up. The Russian pullout throughout the Dnieper River that divides the location marks one in all the most important blows but for Putin, leaving behind possibly the finest prize of the strugglefare he released almost 9 months in the past and critically weakening his grip over the country's south. It follows a grinding Ukrainian counteroffensive that driven Putin's troops returned and pounded their deliver lines, sparking a race with the aid of using Russia to evacuate extra than 100,000 citizens withinside the area — after which its very own squaddies. Moscow's protection ministry stated in a declaration suggested with the aid of using nation information companies early Friday that its troops and system have been withdrawn from the western financial institution of the Dnieper River, finalizing their embarrassing go out from the metropolis of Kherson and lots of its surrounding area. That changed into faster than many Western analysts and officers had predicted, fueling a few skepticism. Ukraine stated lingering Russian opponents had dressed as civilians to keep away from detection and capture. “Kherson returns below manipulate of Ukraine, elements of Ukrainian Armed Forces input the metropolis,” the Main Directorate of Ukrainian Intelligence wrote on its Facebook page. "Your commanders urge you to get dressed in civilian garments and try and get away from Kherson to your very own. Obviously you cannot do this," it stated in a message to Russian squaddies. “You have handiest one threat to keep away from death — to give up immediately.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the episode changed into humiliating for Putin, who handiest weeks in the past had proclaimed the location's annexation. In the middle of Kherson, the strategic port metropolis seized with the aid of using Putin’s forces withinside the strugglefare’s earliest days, video and images established with the aid of using NBC News confirmed citizens chanting and celebrating as they waved Ukrainian flags out of doors the local management building. Some threw Ukrainian squaddies into the air. Mykolaiv attack The strugglefare is a ways from over, however. Russia is firing a stunning 20,000 artillery rounds in keeping with day, in step with a senior U.S. protection official, even as Ukraine is firing from 4,000 to 7,000 rounds daily