Invading Russian forces have taken control of the key Ukranian city of Kherson, the mayor has said. Igor Kolykhaev said Russian troops had imposed a curfew on residents after forcing their way into the city council building.
The port city in southern Ukraine on the Black Sea, with a population of 300,000 is the first major city that Russia has taken since its invasion was launched last week. There are fears it could be used by Russia for amphibious assaults.
As the brutal invasion continues, Ukraine’s capital Kyiv is braced for a siege and its second-largest city Kharkiv reeled from further strikes. A war crimes investigation has begun after Boris Johnson accused Vladimir Putin of committing atrocities by bombarding cities in his invasion of Ukraine.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) opened an investigation on Wednesday night after Britain and 37 allies referred Russia over what the Prime Minister described as “abhorrent” attacks. While according to the UN refugee agency, one million people have now fled Ukraine – making it the swiftest exodus of refugees this century.
The tally from UNHCR amounts to more than 2% of Ukraine’s population on the move in under a week. The World Bank counted the country’s population at 44 million at the end of 2020.
Mr Johnson has warned the Russian president he “cannot commit these horrific acts with impunity”. A second round of talks aimed at ending the fighting was expected on Thursday, but there were little hopes of a breakthrough.
