The Russian army has claimed it has taken control of the strategically important city of Kherson in southern Ukraine as Moscow’s invasion of the country entered its seventh day.
“The Russian divisions of the armed forces have taken the regional centre of Kherson under full control,” defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in televised remarks on Wednesday.
He claimed that public services and transport were operating as usual. “The city is not experiencing shortages of food and essential goods,” he said.
He added that talks were under way between the Russian army and local authorities on maintaining order, protecting the population and keeping public services functioning.
Kherson’s Mayor Igor Nikolayev, however, said in a post on Facebook: “We are still Ukraine. Still firm.”
Apparently contradicting the Russian army’s claims, he said he needed to find a way to “collect the [bodies of the] dead” and “restore electricity, gas, water and heating where they are damaged”.
“But I warn you right away: To complete these tasks today means to perform a miracle,” he added.
Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons, reporting from the city of Lviv in western Ukraine, said there are reports of “Russian soldiers being seen on the streets of Kherson”.
“This is a strategic city because it links the [Russia] annexed Crimean Peninsula to the mainland of Ukraine,” Simmons said.
He added Russian forces were now trying to take control of Mariupol, a key southeastern port city.
“This is a much bigger city … on the Sea of Azov,” Simmons said. “There is a colossal fight going on there.”
The UK’s Defence Ministry said it had seen an increase in Russian air and artillery attacks on populated urban areas over the past two days. It also said Kharkiv and Mariupol were encircled by Russian forces and that troops had reportedly moved into the centre of Kherson.
