Russia captured the key city of Kherson, a port city with over 280,000 residents.
Igor Kolykhaev, the city’s mayor, said that Russian troops took the city hall and set a curfew for residents, the Daily Caller reports. He also asked Russian troops to avoid shooting civilians.
In an interview with the New York Times, Kolykhaev said that Ukrainian forces had already pulled out of the city following the siege.
Kolykhaev told residents via Facebook to follow Russian instructions, including going outside “in groups of two at most.”
He added that “only cars carrying food, medicine and other supplies” can “enter the city, driving at a minimum speed.”
The fall of Kherson, located in southern Ukraine on the Dnieper River, could provide crucial ground for Russian troops to advance deeper into the country.
