Donetsk battles are hell: Zelensky

A woman hugs a Ukrainian officer as they celebrate the recapture of Kherson Saturday. Pic/AP

Russian forces destroyed key infrastructure in Ukraine's southern city of Kherson before fleeing, President Volodymyr Zelensky said as his counterparts in Russia and Iran vowed to deepen economic, political and trade ties.

"There it is just hell - there are extremely fierce battles there every day," Zelensky said of Donetsk region. "But our units are defending bravely - they are withstanding the terrible pressure of the invaders, preserving our defence lines."

Britain said Russia's withdrawal from Kherson, only regional capital in Ukraine it had captured since invading in February, was another humiliation for its army but Moscow continued to pose a threat. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the West was "militarising" southeast Asia in a bid to contain Russian and Chinese interests.

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