kyiv March 2 2022: We reported earlier that it appears Russian troops have captured the southern city of Kherson.
It’s unclear what the exact situation is in Kherson, but local reports say that the Russian military is on the streets.
The city’s mayor, Igor Kolykhayev, had told local radio that Russian forces had captured the city’s railway station and port on Tuesday night, according to BBC Russian.
“The fighting is going on now, and the occupation of our city is under way.”
He said many people had died including Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, and government officials were now trying to make sure people could leave or get to shelters.
Kherson, which has a population of almost 300,000, is located between Mykolaiv and New Kakhovka.
Russia’s strongest military advances so far have been in the south, where its forces from Crimea are targeting several Ukrainian cities including Odesa and Mykolaiv.
Mykolaiv officials have in the past hour stated that the city is still in Ukrainian hands.
