Image source, Getty Images

We're pausing our live coverage shortly. Here are the key developments of the day:

• Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kherson is "ours" in what he described as an "historic day" after Russia retreated from the southern Ukrainian city earlier
• Ukrainians celebrated with soldiers in Kherson's Freedom Square, chanting "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes!"

• Russia's defence ministry said over 30,000 Russian servicemen were pulled out of Kherson region - the only regional capital they'd captured and occupied since the invasion began

• Ukraine's defence minister, Yuriy Sak, said some Russian soldiers remaining in Kherson were taking off their military uniforms and trying to blend in with locals
• Zelensky said Russian forces left "a lot of mines" behind when Russian forces withdrew from Kherson city
• The only road bridge out of Kherson, the Antonivskiy bridge, has been destroyed, although the BBC has been unable to verify who is responsible for damaging it
• However, Russia's defence ministry said all its troops on the western bank had crossed to the other side and said there were no losses of personnel, weapons or military equipment

Today's live page was written by Jo Couzens, Emily McGarvey, Malu Cursino, and Thomas Mackintosh. It was edited by Megan Fisher and Chris Giles.

Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent, reporting from Kyiv

Image source, Hanna Chronous

Crowds filled Maidan Square in Kyiv with songs and celebration as news spread of the Russian retreat from Kherson.

"Kherson is Ukraine" was the rallying cry on banners painted in the bright yellow and blue of Ukraine's flag.

"My heart is exploding in pieces with happiness," Ludmila told us in the noise of Ukrainian song - including the rousing version of the national anthem.

But she also mentioned how today a shell exploded near her home in the area of Kherson province still occupied by Russian forces.

"This brings the end of the war closer," exclaimed Ludmila, in a gaggle of young women dancing with banners and flags.

When I noted that Russian forces are likely to still strike back, her confidence wasn't shaken. "We'll be ready for their actions, for sure."

Tonight, in a city suffering daily power cuts from Russian attacks on the energy grid, there's a bit more light.

As night falls, people have gathered in Kyiv's Maidan Square to celebrate Russia's withdrawal from Kherson.

Take a look:

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters / Maxar

This is what remains of Kherson's main crossing over the Dnipro river, the Antonivskiy Bridge.

It is unclear if Ukrainians or Russians are responsible for the damage, with some Russian sources claiming they did it themselves.

The bridge is a crucial crossing between Kherson to the Russian-controlled eastern bank of the Dnipro River.

Take a look at satellite images and video showing what's left of the bridge.

Image source, President of Ukraine

Ukraine's President Zelensky claims Russian forces left "a lot of mines" behind when they were pulled from Kherson city.

Writing on his website, Zelensky says when his soldiers reach the designated frontiers, stabilisation measures will begin to "neutralise the threats".

He also warns media access to the city could not be ensured until at least basic communications had been demined.

Nothing has gone Russia's way for monthspublished at 18:52 Greenwich Mean Time 11 November 2022

18:52 GMT 11 November 2022

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent, reporting from London

Image source, Reuters

Today was a hugely consequential moment in a war now in its ninth month.

The loss of Kherson is on a par with Russia's humiliating withdrawal from the capital Kyiv earlier in the year, and caps a stunning three-month change of fortunes for the Ukrainians.

Nothing has gone Russia's way for months.

They have lost huge swathes of territory in the east, the flagship of their Black Sea fleet has been sunk and a crucial bridge from Russia to occupied Crimea is still out of action.

Now Russian forces have been forced to abandon the only provincial capital captured since February.

The Dnipro river is a huge natural defensive line, with almost no viable crossing points.

But, even as they hunker down on its eastern bank, the Russians must be wondering what Ukraine’s next move will be.

• You can read more about Kherson being the biggest Russian loss since withdrawal from Kyiv here

Advanced units of the Ukrainian armed forces have reached the western bank of the Dnipro river in some parts of Kherson region, the Ukrainian general staff says.

The Dnipro river runs to the east of Kherson city in Ukraine's south and is strategically important as a huge natural defensive line.

The news comes several hours after the announcement that Ukrainian troops had entered the southern city of Kherson, following a major retreat of Russian soldiers from the region.

Earlier, Russia's defence ministry said all its military personnel and equipment had been redeployed from the west bank and moved to the eastern bank of the Dnipro river, where they had taken up defensive positions.

Image source, EPA

More from Ukraine's President Zelensky now - he says special units of the armed forces are already in the southern city of Kherson following Russia's withdrawal.

"Today is a historic day," he says on Telegram, external, adding that other Ukrainian forces are on the approaches to Kherson.

He goes on to say the people of Kherson were waiting, and never gave up on Ukraine.

And he pledges that for regions yet to be recaptured from Russia, "Ukraine will come to all its people".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Kherson is "ours" after Russia's retreat from the city earlier today.

"Our people. Ours. Kherson," Zelensky wrote on Telegram, external alongside a Ukraine flag emoji and video footage that appeared to show Ukrainian troops gathering with residents of the city.

Image source, Reuters

It has just gone 19:00 in Ukraine so let's have a quick rundown of what has been happening today.

• Ukrainian armed forces have entered the city of Kherson after it was abandoned by Russian forces this morning
• It is one of Russia's biggest setbacks of the war so far - it was the only regional capital they had captured and occupied
• In an interview with the BBC, Ukrainian defence official Yuriy Sak said Kherson is nearly fully under their control again - as videos show people chanting and cheering in the city's Freedom Square

• However, the Antonivskiy Bridge - the main crossing over the Dnipro River on the west of the city- has been destroyed
• Images on social media show chunks of the bridge missing, although the BBC has been unable to verify who is responsible for damaging it
• Despite the setback, Vladimir Putin's spokesman denied the retreat was humiliating for the president as Russian officials described the withdrawal as merely a "redeployment"
• Elsewhere, in the nearby city of Mykolaiv a missile strike on a residential tower has killed at least seven people
• A service has been held in the Crimean city of Simferopol for the Russian-installed deputy governor of Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, who reportedly died in a car crash on Tuesday
• Images have also emerged from the village of Blahodatne - on the outskirts of Kherson - showing damaged houses and various military equipment being left behind by the Russians as they retreated

Paul Adams
BBC Diplomatic correspondent

Image source, Alexei Sandakov

I've had two WhatsApp messages that sum up the mood in Kherson tonight: “Liberation” and “I’m no longer Jimmy.”

For three months, I’ve been talking to a man in Kherson who I’ve only ever known as "Jimmy".

Tonight, “Jimmy” told me his real name: Alexei Sandakov.

Was he really sure I could use his name? “Yes please” came the reply.

It’s been more than two weeks since Alexei messaged me to say that freedom was “in the air”.

Events have unfolded fast since then.

Alexei has dropped in and out of touch, as internet and mobile phone signals have come and gone.

But, this afternoon, a flurry of messages and a voicemail.

“It’s been overwhelming since this morning,” he told me, describing how people waving Ukrainian flags had emerged, singing and dancing, onto the streets of the city where he was born and bred.

“No-one is going to sleep tonight.”

Only a handful of Ukrainian soldiers, he said, had so far shown up in downtown Kherson.

“Everybody wanted to embrace them. They didn’t know what to do.”

Alexei said he expected a blackout for a couple of days, as Ukrainian forces assert their authority and, presumably, hunt for booby traps and Russian stragglers.

But, for now, clearly intoxicated by the speed with which events have unfolded, Alexei is struggling to take it all in.

“It’s free now. It’s so different. Everyone is crying since the morning.”

Russian presenters grim-faced by Kherson retreatpublished at 16:48 Greenwich Mean Time 11 November 2022

16:48 GMT 11 November 2022

Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor, reporting from Moscow

Image source, Getty Images

Right after Russia invaded Ukraine, TV talk show hosts here were confidently predicting that within days Russian troops would be marching through Kyiv.

That was nearly nine months ago.

This week the same presenters were grim-faced as they announced the army's "difficult decision" to withdraw Russian forces from Kherson - the only Ukrainian regional capital Russia had managed to capture and occupy since invading Ukraine on 24 February.

Just six weeks ago, President Vladimir Putin had claimed to have annexed the Kherson region, along with three other Ukrainian territories, insisting that they would be part of Russia forever.

There's another message, too: don't criticise the Russian army or Russia's president for what's gone wrong in Ukraine.

Instead, do your duty and rally round the flag.

Read Steve's analysis of why Putin can't escape the fallout from the Kherson retreat here.

Around a 30-minute drive from the centre of Kherson is the village of Blahodatne.

It's one of the settlements liberated by the Ukrainian army, according to the country's defence ministry.

This afternoon new images from the Reuters news agency have appeared showing villagers and their damaged homes.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Earlier we mentioned comments from Ukrainian defence adviser Yuriy Sak.

He talked about how Ukraine's goal remains to take back all annexed land from Russia - including Crimea in the south.

Russian defence map shows departure from Khersonpublished at 16:09 Greenwich Mean Time 11 November 2022

16:09 GMT 11 November 2022

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor

You don't need to be able to read Russian to see the significance of this map, produced during a briefing earlier today by Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

The orange areas of the map are under Russian occupation and, significantly, the entire area of the Kherson region on the western side of the River Dnipro is now white - in other words no longer in Russian hands. Kherson city is in yellow, near the bottom of the map in the centre.

Image source, Ria Novosti

Konashenkov said during the briefing: "Not one military vehicle or item of equipment has been left on the right bank... all Russian service personnel have been transferred to the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro."

He added that Russian troops had now taken up defensive positions on the eastern side of the river.

Will Vernon
BBC News, reporting from Moscow

Image source, Reuters

The Russian defence ministry has now updated its earlier statement on the “redeployment” claiming that over 30,000 Russian service personnel were pulled out of the region.

Some 5,000 pieces of military hardware and weaponry have also been removed, it adds.

The BBC has been unable to verify the Russian military's version of events.

The BBC has verified footage of Ukrainians celebrating with soldiers in Kherson's Freedom Square.

Video shows crowds in the city after Russia's withdrawal from the region.

People can be seen cheering and chanting "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes!", "Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine!", while another man waves a Ukrainian flag.

At the end of the video one man appears to be overcome with emotion.

Take a look:

Image source, Reuters

Kherson was the first - and only - regional capital to fall into Russian hands after it invaded Ukraine on 24 February.

From late September, it was viewed by the Kremlin as Russian territory following so-called "referendums" in occupied areas of Ukraine.

These referendums were widely discredited by the international community.

Earlier this week the Russian-installed deputy governor of Kherson was killed in a car crash, according to local officials and media.

Kirill Stremousov, 45, was appointed two months after Russia's invasion and was one of the most prominent proponents of the Russian occupation and became known for aggressive statements on social media.

On Wednesday, Moscow said it was no longer possible to supply Kherson, saying it would step back from the western bank of the Dnipro - a river which bisects Ukraine.

Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not take part in the televised announcement.

Ukraine has vowed to take back all annexed land from Russia, including Crimea in the south.

The southern peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014 and the two countries have been battling over its sovereignty ever since.

Defence adviser Yuriy Sak tells the BBC: "We will liberate our land and will restore Ukrainian territory within the internationally recognised territories which includes Crimea."

"I'm convinced that our military planning will still be a good level like the way we did in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and now Kherson," he adds.

Some more now from Yuriy Sak, adviser to Ukraine's defence ministry...

He tells the BBC there are some Russian soldiers left in Kherson.

"The Russians are taking off their military uniforms, throwing them in the garbage bins and trying to blend in with the locals.

"We urge them to surrender, save their life and don't be foolish," he adds.

Sak also says it is too early for Ukraine "to be complacent" and that his country knows the war is far from over.