Russian forces have taken the Ukrainian city of Kherson, local officials confirmed, the first major urban centre to fall since Moscow invaded one week ago.
“The (Russian) occupiers are in all parts of the city and are very dangerous,” Gennady Lakhuta, head of the regional administration, wrote on messaging service Telegram late Wednesday.
The mayor of the port city of 290,000, Igor Kolykhaiev, announced discussions with “armed guests” in Kherson’s city administration.
“We had no weapons and were not aggressive. We showed that we are working to secure the city and are trying to deal with the consequences of the invasion,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“We are having huge difficulties with the collection and burial of the dead, the delivery of food and medicine, the collection of garbage, the management of accidents, etc.,” he continued.
Kolykhaiev said that he had “made no promises” to the invading forces but asked them “not to shoot people”, while also announcing a night curfew in the city and a restriction on car traffic.
“So far so good. The flag flying above us is Ukrainian. And for it to stay that way, these requirements must be met,” he added. AFP
