'Joy of Liberation'—Ukraine Soldiers Hugged by Locals After Russia Retreats

Videos of Ukrainian soldiers being greeted by civilians with hugs and adoration have begun circulating on social media.

One video, posted on Sunday, has far been viewed more than one million times.

In the brief clip, multiple civilians can be seen shaking hands and hugging Ukrainian soldiers as they stand in the streets.

Another video, posted today (Monday), has been viewed more than 100,000 times.

It shows a soldier walking along a dirt road while carrying a Ukrainian flag, before a woman comes up to him and hugs him tightly before letting him continue walking.

Over the weekend, Twitter page Visegrád 24 also posted a similar video while giving more detail about the instance that saw an elderly woman come out and hug a soldier. The video has so far been viewed 950,000 times

"Heart warming footage from Ukraine," an elderly woman freezes when she sees a soldier by her house as she thinks he's from the Russian Army.

"The Ukrainian soldier says 'it's our guys coming' and she gives him a long hug. This is how liberation after six months looks like."

These videos come as Ukraine solidifies its presence in previously Russian-held territories in the country. These re-establishment of their troops comes as Ukrainian forces continue their counter offensive against Russian invaders.

There have been reports of a significant retreat by Russian forces across Ukraine in recent weeks.

In a post on Telegram on Sunday, the commander of Ukraine's military, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, said his troops had regained 3,000 square kilometers (1,860 square miles) of territory from the Russians since the beginning of September, and that in the Kharkiv region, they had pushed to within 50 kilometers—or roughly 30 miles—of the nation's border with Russia.

Ukraine has launched a surprise counteroffensive in the areas around Kharkiv, the country's second largest city. In recent days, Ukrainian forces have seized control of key cities such as Izyum and Kupyansk, forcing Russian soldiers to retreat, as experts see Ukraine building momentum.

Visegrád 24 also shared a video of a Ukrainian soldier allegedly showing this progress by its military forces.

"One of the first Ukrainian soldiers to reach the border with Russia in the northern part of the Kharkiv region records a video of the historic moment," the caption said.

"The Russians are nowhere to be seen. How far into the country have they retreated."

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ukraine's Ministry of Defense for comment.