BREAKING: Russia Captures Ukraine City Of Kherson (VIDEO)

Ukraine reports that more than 2,000 civilians have died since the invasion began last Thursday. The conflict has also caused 1,000,000 people to flee Ukraine, the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said.

In a Facebook post, Mr Kolykhaev said Russian forces were in control of Kherson, a port on Ukraine’s southern Black Sea coast with a population of more than 280,000 people.

He urged Russian soldiers not to shoot at civilians, saying there were no Ukrainian forces in the city.

Mr Kolykhaev called on residents to follow conditions set by Russian forces in order to “keep the Ukrainian flag flying”. These include:

The capture of Kherson – located on the banks of the Dnieper River where it flows into the Black Sea – is significant because it could allow Russia to create a base for the military there as it seeks to push further inland.

Newsonline Nigeria reports that Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, came under a fierce aerial assault. Its mayor told the BBC shelling and cruise missile strikes were hitting residential areas and inflicting heavy civilian casualties.