Russia claims it has taken control of major Ukrainian city
Russian troops have seized Kherson, a provincial capital in the southern coastal part of Ukraine, the Defense Ministry announced in a briefing on Wednesday. It also confirmed strikes on what it claimed to be part of Ukraine’s psyops infrastructure, including a TV tower in Kiev.
Kherson is a strategically important city, and a vital port on the Black Sea and on the Dneper River.
The ministry stated that civilian infrastructure in Kherson is operating normally, with no shortages of food or other items of necessity reported. It said the city’s government and Russian military were engaged in talks on how to ensure order and public safety in the area.
Russian forces in Ukraine had attacked more than 60 additional military locations, pushing the total number of destroyed elements of Ukrainian military infrastructure to over 1,500, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov reported.
Among the targets of Russian strikes was a TV tower in Kiev, the official confirmed. The Defense Ministry claims it was part of the military infrastructure used by Ukraine to wage psychological warfare. It was hit accurately by a precision munition that left nearby buildings undamaged, the spokesman said.
The Russian military announced its intention to attack a Ukrainian military psyop center and what it called relevant “technological sites” several hours before the strike on the tower. The Ukrainian side said five people were killed and five others injured in the attack, which also reportedly disrupted some television broadcasts in the country.
Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine last Thursday, claiming it had to use force to stop Ukrainian attacks against the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, and to demilitarize and “denazify” the country.
Kiev and Western nations denounced Russia for committing an act of aggression. Western sanctions imposed against Moscow in retaliation are intended to seriously damage the Russian economy.
