Kiev, Europe Brief News – Russia has intensified its attacks on key Ukrainian cities as fighting raging for a seventh day in the north, east and south.
Russian paratroopers have landed in Kharkiv in the north-east, Ukraine said, with heavy fighting reported.
In the south, Russia says it has taken control of the port of Kherson. But its mayor said it’s still held by Ukrainian forces.
Reports from the city are mixed – local authorities are still claiming the city is under Ukrainian control.
A 40 mile-long convoy of Russian armoured vehicles is about 15 miles north of the capital Kyiv.
Russia claimed its troops have taken control of the Black Sea port city of Kherson.
Both the regional governor and the city’s mayor said the Russian forces have surrounded them. But they denied Kherson has been occupied.
Capturing the city would be very significant, said military expert Dr Jack Watling – from the Royal United Services Institute – as it holds a strategic position on the Dnieper river which bisects Ukraine.
“As the Russians start to capture those key cities along the Dnieper… they will be able to prevent supplies moving form the west to the east to resupply Ukrainian military units that are fighting in the joint forces operations areas around the Donbas,” explains Watling.
Russia will “start to strangle off the logistics for the Ukrainians” he further added.
