Ukrainians everywhere, and those from the recently liberated key eastern city of Kherson, rejoiced Sunday after the nearly eight-month Russian occupation of the region ended over the weekend.
As Russian troops occupying her village near Kherson left, Svitlana Galak said she cried "tears of happiness" when Ukrainian soldiers arrived to liberate them.
"I don't know when the Russians arrived, but I only know one thing – that yesterday, or the day before yesterday, I saw a Ukrainian soldier and I was relieved," the 43-year-old told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"I had tears of happiness, that finally Ukraine is liberated," she said.
Her village Pravdyne is located about 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) northwest of the city of Kherson that, along with the eponymous region, was captured by Russian forces shortly after their invasion in late February.
On Friday, Russia said it had pulled back more than 30,000 troops in the southern region, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declaring Kherson "ours" as residents reacted with joy and jubilation.
Later Saturday, Zelenskyy accused Russian forces of destroying the critical infrastructure in the southern city before fleeing. He added that local authorities were starting to stabilize the city.
"Before fleeing from Kherson, the occupiers destroyed all the critical infrastructure: communications, water, heat, electricity," Zelenskyy said in a video address.
"(Russians) everywhere have the same goal: to humiliate people as much as possible. But we will restore everything, believe me," he continued.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian troops had taken control of more than 60 settlements in the Kherson region.
"Police have launched stabilization measures. Stabilization measures are also underway in Kherson," he said.
Galak, a resident of Pravdyne, a small village in the middle of an agricultural plain that had some 1,000 residents before the war.
Some of the roofs of buildings appear blasted off, and several homes have been destroyed. Debris of anti-mine parts and explosives litter the village's fields – a remnant of bombing campaigns.
Kyiv's recapture of swathes of the southern region, which serves as a gateway to the Black Sea, was also a bittersweet moment for her – Galak's eldest daughter had been killed in a bombing raid on the village.
"I will tell you honestly, I was not happy that Russians were here, and my child died. It is hard for me," she said.
Her husband Viktor told the AFP of mistreatment under some of the soldiers, like when he was once stopped when he went to a different part of Pravdyne to visit his mother.
"The Russians stopped us and forced us to kneel," the 44-year-old said.
While questioning whether he was a resident of the village, another soldier tied his arms and legs.
"Then one of them came and said he was going to put a grenade under me so I wouldn't run away," he said.
He then told them that his daughter had already been killed and asked them: "Why do you want to put a grenade under me? Do you want to kill us all or what? What is your aim? Are you fascists?" he recounted.
Luckily, before he could be interrogated, another soldier recognized Viktor and he was released.
"We were happy when we saw Ukrainian soldiers because we are Ukrainians," he said, adding that the occupation was also difficult due to the lack of food.
"The Russian soldiers brought sweets, cans, food and everyone took it because no one wanted to die of hunger."
Despite his run-in with some soldiers, many others "did not want to fight," Viktor said.
"They were sitting around, not very happy to be here and not with their families."
On Saturday, volunteers were seen coming in with a van to distribute food aid. Two women hugged each other while crying.
Svitlana Striletska said that 23 people were killed in the village since the occupation.
