Russia has taken its first major city in Ukraine after days of fierce battles as the mayor begged Vladimir Putin’s forces not to kill any more civilians. Moscow’s troops managed to capture the key port city of Kherson after six days of fighting as their advance grinds across Ukraine.
Russia is reported to have suffered heavy losses during the battle – but the exact numbers remain unknown. And meanwhile, at least 300 civilians and soldiers have been killed on the Ukrainian side in Kherson. Ukrainians however had remained defiant till the end as one man was seen waving two blue and yellow national flags in the city’s main square.
People shouted “glory to Ukraine” as the lone protester faced down three Russian “Z” tanks and a group of soldiers parked nearby. The city near Crimea is home to 300,000 people – and opens up the pathway for the Russians to move towards Odessa. Odessa is Ukraine’s main port and naval base and is thought to be a target for Putin.
“So far this is how it is,” he conceded. He said that the Ukrainian flag was still flying, stressing, “And to keep it the same, these requirements must be met.” The mayor added he was willing to talk because of the “huge difficulties” faced since the invasion, including “the collection and burial of the dead” as well as “the delivery of food and medicine.”
“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 said. “I made no promises to them. … I just asked not to shoot people,” he said. It was a key breakthrough for Russia, which has faced mounting signs of trouble in the invasion, with demoralized troops meeting tougher resistance than expected.
