“During the last 24 hours, the Russian armed forces tightened their siege on the cities of Kherson (290,000 people) and Berdyansk (110 thousand people),” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted by the Russian news agency TASS.
On Sunday, the Ukrainian government admitted that Russian forces had stormed the strategic city of Kharkiv, close to the border with Russia, in the latest developments in the invasion that began on Thursday, while the Russian army announced that it was besieging the cities of Kherson and Berdyansk in southern Ukraine.
Adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, Anton Herashchenko, said in a message on the “Telegram” application that Russian military vehicles were seen in the streets of Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, on Sunday.
Video clips broadcast by Hirashchenko and the Special Communications and Information Protection Service of Ukraine showed several light military vehicles moving along a street and a separately burned tank.
Later, local governor Ole Sengopov said that the fighting in Kharkiv had turned into a street war.
“Light vehicles of the Russian enemy stormed Kharkiv, including the city center,” Sengupov added, according to “Reuters”.
The city was under a fierce Russian attack in recent days, and Kiev admitted that the situation there, on Saturday, was among the most difficult in the country.
On Saturday, the official Ukrainian news agency reported that there was heavy fighting near the city of Kharkiv, where Russian forces blew up a natural gas pipeline.
“The enemy wants to destroy everything,” said Vasilkiev Mayor Natalia Balasinovich.
Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second most populous city, about 50 km from the border with Russia.
