Valentyn Ilchuk and his comrades are in high spirits on the march to reclaim Ukrainian territory north of Kherson city (Picture: Valua Chuk/Facebook)

A Ukrainian soldier to the north of Kherson has spoken of ‘one of the happiest days of my life’ as his unit is greeted by liberated residents.

Valentyn Ilchuk told of the ‘incredible’ feeling as he and his comrades meet people who have been living under the shadow of Russian occupation.  

The former University of Warwick exchange student is 20km away from Russian-held Nova Kakhovka supporting a brigade’s mortar team.

Ukrainian flags have been raised in the southern port city today as Russian soldiers withdrew to the east bank of the Dnipro River. 

The liberation is one of the most significant moments of the war to date.

‘It is absolutely amazing, this day will go down in history,’ the infantryman told Metro.co.uk.

‘We are not too far from Kherson and people are riding around in cars waving the Ukrainian flag, the city is ours. 

‘We ourselves are moving further north and are passing village after village that has just been liberated. 

‘It’s incredible to see people go out on the streets and see people with Ukrainian flags they have been hiding from the Russian occupiers because unfortunately they were prosecuted for showing them. 

Valentyn Ilchuk shares his feelings as Ukrainian forces march across ground in Kherson Oblast (Picture: Valua Chuk/Facebook)

‘A lot of people have been hiding the flags and now they are flowing out on the streets and greeting us. Overall, it’s amazing.

‘Everyone’s ecstatic, it’s one of the happiest days of my life right now.’ 

The Donbas war veteran said Ukrainian forces are chasing Russian troops near the city of Beryslav on the approach to Nova Kakhovka, where there is a huge dam which rumours suggest might be blown up by Russian forces. 

The structure blocks the Dnipro river upstream of Kherson and would likely cause devastating flooding if it was breached. 

Valentyn Ilchuk and his comrades with a resident who gave them snacks in a newly liberated village (Picture: Valua Chuk/Facebook)

‘We are still going through with battles,’ Mr Ilchuk said.

‘We are still being shelled and there are still battles and fights, but overall everyone’s spirits are high. It’s amazing.’ 

The digital agency boss shared a picture on Facebook showing him and his comrades eating pastries given to them by a grateful elderly man in Tavriyske, around 39km northwest of Kherson city.  

Mr Ilchuk wrote: ‘He was almost crying as he told us how he waited eight months, virtually not leaving home, and how he could not believe his ears when he heard his native language.’ 

The soldier told how the village has been ‘ripped apart’ and wondered how residents managed to survive the ‘scum’ who occupied the region.

Originally from Kyiv, he has been sharing his frontline story with Metro.co.uk while his wife and daughter stay out harm’s way in Estonia.  

The digital agency boss previously took part in a fierce battle to liberate Lukyanivka on the northern outskirts of Kyiv before redeploying to the south, and had been based in Mykolaiv. 

Valentyn Ilchuk swapped life as a digital agency boss for the frontlines defending Ukraine from the Russian invasion (Picture: Valua Chuk/Facebook)

His squad consists of veterans from the pre-existing Donbas conflict who remained friends after taking up civilian roles. They then answered Ukraine’s call to arms at the outset of the invasion on February 24.  

The 39-year-old’s wartime service is a far cry from his civilian life as the boss of Zgraya Digital, which specialises in websites, apps and branding.

He studied International Business and Marketing at the University of Richmond in the US, which included an exchange term at Warwick in 2005. 

The blue and yellow flag is flying in Kherson city centre once more after Russian troops withdrew (Picture: @nexta_tv)

The unit, which is named the Thor Squad, is registered with the police in order to give it legal authority to fight and is being used as a task force, which includes combat along with reconnaissance and support missions.

Videos posted online today show Ukrainian soldiers being welcomed with hugs as they arrived in the centre of Kherson.

Vladimir Putin’s spokesman denied the retreat was humiliating for the Kremlin and described the withdrawal as a ‘redeployment’. 

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Valentyn Ilchuk spoke as Ukrainian forces continue to advance on Russian forces to the north of Kherson.