LATEST NEWS: Ukraine’s first city falls: Kherson mayor tells residents to follow orders from Russian troops, while US officials warn Putin is heading for a “slow destruction” of the country
- Kherson, home to 290,000 people 300 miles south of Kyiv, became the first major Ukrainian city to fall by Russian forces on Wednesday.
- Igor Kolikhaev, mayor of Kherson, wrote on Facebook that residents must obey “armed people who came to the city administration.”
- Kolikhaev said a group of about 10 armed Russian officers, including the commander of the forces attacking the city, entered the town hall building
- The Russians say they plan to create a new administration similar to the one in two Russian-backed separatist enclaves in eastern Ukraine.
- Kherson is a strategically important city at the entrance to the Black Sea, 260 miles west of the edge of Donetsk.
Ukraine’s first major city falls into Russian hands, the mayor confirmed on Wednesday, urging its residents to Facebook to obey “armed men who have come to govern the city.”
Kherson, home to 290,000 people, is 300 miles south of Kyiv.
The city is strategically important, located on a Black Sea bay 260 miles west of the separatist enclave of Donetsk.
Igor Kolikhaev, the mayor of Kherson, insisted earlier Wednesday that the city remained under Ukrainian control, but has now fallen.
The city of Kherson can be seen on Wednesday, as Russian forces appear to be in control. Kherson was the first major city to fall to the Russians
Kherson, 300 miles south of Kyiv, is considered an important strategic asset as it is located at the entrance to the Black Sea.
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