Reuters video: Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday Russian armed forces have taken control of the Ukrainian city of Kherson.
Russia claims control of southern Ukrainian city of Kherson
Defence ministry says talks are under way between Russian army and local authorities on maintaining order.
2 Mar 2022
The Russian army has claimed it has taken control of the strategically important city of Kherson in southern Ukraine as Moscow’s invasion of the country entered its seventh day.
“The Russian divisions of the armed forces have taken the regional centre of Kherson under full control,” defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in televised remarks on Wednesday.
He claimed that public services and transport were operating as usual. “The city is not experiencing shortages of food and essential goods,” he said.
He added that talks were under way between the Russian army and local authorities on maintaining order, protecting the population and keeping public services functioning.
‘We are still Ukraine’
Kherson’s Mayor Igor Nikolayev, however, said in a post on Facebook: “We are still Ukraine. Still firm.”
Apparently contradicting the Russian army’s claims, he said he needed to find a way to “collect the [bodies of the] dead” and “restore electricity, gas, water and heating where they are damaged”.
“But I warn you right away: To complete these tasks today means to perform a miracle,” he added.
Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons, reporting from the city of Lviv in western Ukraine, said there are reports of “Russian soldiers being seen on the streets of Kherson”.
“This is a strategic city because it links the [Russia] annexed Crimean Peninsula to the mainland of Ukraine,” Simmons said.
He added Russian forces were now trying to take control of Mariupol, a key southeastern port city.
“This is a much bigger city … on the Sea of Azov,” Simmons said. “There is a colossal fight going on there.”
The UK’s Defence Ministry said it had seen an increase in Russian air and artillery attacks on populated urban areas over the past two days. It also said Kharkiv and Mariupol were encircled by Russian forces and that troops had reportedly moved into the centre of Kherson.
Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull, also reporting from Lviv, said there appears to be a “pattern of Russian attacks aimed at depriving Ukraine of access to its Black Sea coast”.
“The Russians are said to be in control of Kherson and are also encircling Mariupol, a much bigger port city down on the Black Sea coast between Crimea and the breakaway regions,” he said, citing the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin last Thursday ordered troops to invade pro-Western Ukraine to “de-militarise” and “denazify” the country. Putin recognised the breakaway regions days before he launched the full-scale invasion.
All in all, the Russian military damaged more than 1,500 military facilities in Ukraine, Konashenkov, the defence ministry spokesman, said on Wednesday, adding that 58 planes, 46 drones and 472 tanks and other armoured vehicles had been destroyed.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday accused Russia of seeking to “erase” Ukrainians, their country and their history.
In a video address posted on Facebook, Zelenskyy said the West’s response was not enough, calling for more international support, including backing Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union.
The Ukrainian leader said Tuesday’s shelling on the site of the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial, adjacent to the TV tower in Kyiv, proves that “for many people in Russia our Kyiv is completely foreign.
“They know nothing about our capital. About our history. But they have an order to erase our history. Erase our country. Erase us all,” he said.
Zelenskyy also claimed nearly 6,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the invasion began last Thursday. Russia has not released overall casualty numbers and the figure could not be confirmed.
More than 650,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighbouring EU member states since Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
Ukraine Civilians Can "Freely" Leave Kyiv: Russian Army
Updated: February 28, 2022 4:21 pm IST
"All civilians in the city can freely leave the Ukrainian capital along the Kyiv-Vasylkiv highway. This direction is open and safe," Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in televised remarks.
Kiev, Ukraine: The Russian army said Monday that Ukrainian civilians could "freely" leave the country's capital Kyiv and claimed its airforce dominated Ukraine's skies as its invasion entered a fifth day. "All civilians in the city can freely leave the Ukrainian capital along the Kyiv-Vasylkiv highway. This direction is open and safe," Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in televised remarks.
Vasylkiv is located to the southwest of Kyiv.
Konashenkov hinted that Russia was preparing to target civilian areas of Kyiv, accusing Ukrainian troops of using civilians as human shields.
He citing Ukraine's advice to Kyiv's citizens to stay at home and observe a nighttime curfew as proof of his claim that civilians were being used to shield "nationalists, who have placed artillery detachments and military equipment in residential areas".
He added that Kyiv had been overrun by "bands of looters, robbers and nationalists who have received weapons" from the authorities.
Listing Moscow's military advances, Konashenkov claimed that Russia's aviation has superior air power over the "entire territory of Ukraine".
In Ukraine's southeast, Russian troops have taken control of the port city of Berdyansk and the city of Energodar, which has a large nuclear power plant, Konashenkov said.
Russian troops are guarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which is continuing to operate and the radiation levels are normal, the military spokesman said.
'Any military threat nothing but scrap iron in front of 1.4 billion Chinese people'
13:53, 02-Mar-2022
China's Foreign Ministry responded on March 1 to the U.S. sending the destroyer USS Ralph Johnson through the Taiwan Straits, saying the act will only accelerate the demise of "Taiwan independence" forces. "The trick of U.S. warships passing through the Taiwan Straits should be left to those who are obsessed with hegemony," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.
Picture 1) Wang Wenbin is a Chinese politician diplomat, the spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, deputy director of the Foreign Ministry Information Department, and is a member of the Chinese Communist Party.
Picture 2) PHILIPPINE SEA (June 23, 2020) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) steam in formation during dual carrier operations with the Nimitz and Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Groups (CSG).
davessales039: It's actually a nice one....... But You can't be too sure.
2023 is near.. Could this be a campaign strategy??!!
Well, let's remain positive nonetheless.
iezeiyida: Stop playing the stupid games just because 2023 elections are getting closer. The Federal and State executives, judiciary and legislature, should first start using IVM if you people are serious to patronise our local products
It's got nothing to do with 2023. The Federal Government has consistently been one of Innoson's biggest customers. Mr Innocent Chukwuma said so himself.
Innocent Chukwuma, Chairman, Innoson Group of Companies Nigeria limited, says the federal government, under President Muhammadu Buhari, has given enormous patronage and support to his firm, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM).
Mr Chukwuma made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Nnewi, Anambra.
He also named Enugu, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Anambra, Gombe, and Bauchi as well as Nigeria military among the states buying Innoson vehicles.
Mr Chukwuma further told NAN that if patronage is given to his firm, it could transform Nigeria into a vehicle manufacturing hub in Africa in no distant time.
“I can say that Innoson vehicle manufacturing is doing well, especially with the level of patronage and support the company is enjoying under the present federal government.
“I must equally say that some state governments like; Ekiti, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kogi, Gombe, Anambra and Bauchi are are giving us a great boost.
“As at today, Innoson vehicles are being used in some West African countries like Mali, Sierra Leone and Ghana and some Nigerians residing abroad return home to purchase our vehicles”, he said.
Mr Chukwuma said that his vehicle factory had the capacity to manufacture all brands of vehicle, adding that he hoped to expand the company, soonest.
He said that apart from doing well in production capacity, the company recently employed between 7,300 and 7,500 workers to boost production capacity.
“With more support and patronage from Nigeria, we hope to expand our vehicle manufacturing firm to help provide more employment to our youths.”
Mr Chukwuma, who responded to question on the performance of youths from Niger Delta trained under the amnesty programme by his firm, described most of them as highly talented.
“Some of the youth of the Niger Delta whom we trained are very talented, after their training, we retained some of them and they are part of the success story of Innoson vehicle manufacturing can boast of today”, he said.
On the recent report that Anambra lawmakers rejected Toyota Prado SUVs and demanded Innoson products, Mr Chukwuma said he knew nothing about the report.
He, however, said “Anybody, including the Anambra lawmakers, is free to buy any brand of vehicle of his or her choice.
“As we speak, Anambra government ordered for 40 vehicles which it fully paid for and we hope to deliver them to the state by next week.”
Mr Chukwuma said he enjoyed a very warm relationship with Governor Willie Obiano and his government, saying that he was willing to leverage the relationship to impact positively on the state.
Foreign Affairs › Re: Russian Forces Claim Control Of Ukrainian City Of Kherson. Surround Others. by naptu2(op): 8:08pm On Mar 02, 2022
