The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Kherson, Igor Kolikhaev, said the Ukrainian military was no longer in the city and that its residents had to follow the instructions of “armed men who came to the city administration” – noting that the city was already under Russian control.
The message on his Facebook page was followed by several days of pressure on Kherson by Russian forces that surrounded the city.
Kherson is a strategically important city at the entrance to the Black Sea with a population of nearly 300,000 people. In Kyiv on Wednesday, the mayor challenged Russia’s claims to control, saying Ukrainian forces were still fighting in parts of the city. The new publication says that the Ukrainian forces have left.
In an interview with the New York Times, the mayor also said that a group of about 10 armed Russian officers, including the commander of the forces attacking the city, entered the town hall building on Wednesday. He said he had been informed by Russian officers that they planned to set up a new administration similar to the one in two Russian-backed separatist enclaves in eastern Ukraine, according to an interview with the NY Times.
What does this mean: If Kherson is now under Russian control, this will be an important moment in the conflict, as it will be the first major city to be captured by Russian forces.
Late Wednesday, Gennady Lahuta, head of the Kherson district administration, issued a statement saying: “I ask all those who are not at home at the moment or who are planning to go out not to do so. The occupiers are in all parts of the city and are very dangerous. ”
Without saying explicitly that the Russians controlled the city, Mayor Kolikhayev said on Wednesday night that “there were armed visitors to the city’s executive committee today.”
“My team and I are peaceful people, we had no weapons, there was no aggression on our part.
“I did not make any promises to them. I just have nothing to promise. I am only interested in the normal life of our city! I just asked not to shoot at people. ”
In his Facebook post, he continued: “We have no armed forces in the city, only civilians and people who want to LIVE here!”
Kolikhayev said there are already new rules in the city, which include curfew and restrictions on transport in and out of the city.
He said another rule was “Pedestrians walk one by one, maximum two.” Don’t provoke the military. ”
He concluded: “Let it be for now. The flag above us is Ukrainian. And to keep it the same, these requirements will have to be met. I can’t offer anything else. “