The mayor of Kherson has stated that the city has been captured by Russian troops, making it the first major city to fall in the conflict that started 7 days ago.
The Ukrainian city of Kherson, with a peacetime population of around 280,000, has been captured by Russian troops, the city’s mayor announced on Facebook.
He asked Ukrainians still in the city to adhere to the conditions imposed by Russian forces:
- A curfew from 20:00 to 06:00
- Not gathering in groups of more than 2
- Allow only cars carrying necessities into the city
He also asked Russian soldiers to not shoot at civilians, stating that there were no Ukrainian soldiers remaining in the city.
Kherson is a port city, with some commentators worrying it might be set up as a base for further reinforcing Russian troops and alleviating stress on logistics.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mariupol are reportedly under near-constant bombardment, with Mariupol’s council accusing Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure. Mariupol is also reportedly completely surrounded by Russian troops.
The Russian armoured convoy that has been advancing on the capital city of Kyiv has reportedly made little progress in the face of Ukrainian resistance and mechanical difficulties.
Igor Konashenkov, spokesperson for the Russian Defence Ministry, has given has released Russia’s first official casualty count.
Russia claims it has lost:
- 498 troops killed
- 1,597 troops injured
And that it has:
- Killed 2,870 Ukrainian soldiers
- Injured 3,700 Ukrainian soldiers
- Captured 572 Ukrainian soldiers
These numbers are in stark contrast to the Ukrainian figures, which now report that around 9,000 Russian soldiers have been killed.
In all likelihood, both Ukraine and Russia will be guilty of exaggerating the casualties they have inflicted, while minimising their losses.
The UN believes the total number of Ukrainians to have fled the country will soon exceed 1 million.
The Ukrainian emergency services have reported that at least 350 civilians have been killed with at least another 2,000 injured.
