Russia claims to have seized the first major Ukrainian city in their week-long offensive – the strategic southern port of Kherson. Russia stepped up bombardment across the country, surrounding Kharkiv, the second-largest city and capital Kyiv.
Kherson is strategically located on the banks of the Dnieper River near where it flows into the Black Sea. If Russian troops take the city, they could unblock a water canal and restore water supplies to the Crimean Peninsula. The mayor asked them not to shoot civilians and to allow them to gather up the bodies from the streets.
The largely Russian-speaking city of Kharkiv has been a target for Russian forces since President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine last Thursday. The battle in the Kherson region began last Thursday, the first day of the invasion, and by the next day Russian forces were able to take a bridge that connects the city with the western bank.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
