Russian troops seize strategic Ukrainian city of Kherson

Russian forces on Thursday, seized a strategic southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, and have continued to besiege other cities, with casualties and destruction mounting, an official of the war-torn country’s defence ministry has announced.

Kherson, an important port city, is the first major Ukrainian town to fall as Russian forces continue their onslaught as the invasion of Ukraine enters the eighth day.

The Ukrainian defence ministry said with the capture of Kherson, Russian forces have stepped up bombardment of civilian targets across the country, putting other cities under siege and pushed to encircle and cut off the capital, Kyiv.

Apart from Kherson, other cities that are likely to fall into Russian hands include Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, and the port city of Mariupol.

READ ALSO: One million refugees flee Ukraine as Russian invasion enters day 8 —UN

So far, a huge convoy of military vehicles have been encircling north of Kyiv in apparent preparation for a major offensive.

“The battle for control of Kherson, a shipbuilding center, left bodies strewn about the city streets, power outages, limited water and little food,” a city official said on Thursday.

“Utility workers have tried to fix damaged pipes and downed lines, he said, but have come under fire from snipers,” he added.

The official said a group of about 10 armed Russian officers, including the commander of forces attacking the city, had entered the city hall and informed him that they planned to set up a military administration.

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