Ukraine: Russian troops seize control of Kherson, a key city
According to the mayor, Russian forces have taken control of a key port city in southern Ukraine. Kherson is Russia’s first major city to be taken after heavy fighting since its invasion a week ago.
Igor Kolykhaev, the city’s mayor, said Russian troops had stormed the city council building and imposed a curfew on residents. Several cities have been heavily shelled, with Wednesday being one of the most destructive days of the fighting. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has opened an investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine.
According to Ukraine, over 2,000 civilians have died since the invasion began last Thursday. According to the UN, the conflict has also forced over a million people to flee Ukraine.
Mr. Kolykhaev said on Facebook that Russian forces had taken control of Kherson, a port on Ukraine’s southern Black Sea coast with a population of more than 280,000 people. He urged Russian soldiers not to shoot at civilians, claiming that no Ukrainian forces were present in the city.
Mariupol, a key Ukrainian port city, is “nearing a humanitarian catastrophe” after more than 15 hours of continuous bombardment by Russian forces, according to the city’s deputy mayor.
“The Russian army is testing all of its weapons here, including artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, aeroplanes, and tactical rockets. They are attempting to demolish the city “Serhiy Orlov stated
According to Mr. Orlov, Russian forces were several kilometres away from the city on all sides and had launched strikes on key infrastructure, cutting water and power supplies to parts of the city. He claimed that one densely populated residential district on the city’s left bank had been “nearly completely destroyed.”
Ukraine’s army has so far held off Russian forces in key areas of the country, but increased aerial bombardment of cities has raised fears that Russia is changing tactics.
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