R Igor Kolykhaev, Kherson’s mayor, told The New York Times on Wednesday that Russian forces had encircled the city and, after days of fighting, Ukraine’s forces retreated toward the nearby city of Mykolaiv.
Moscow released Russia’s first death toll since the start of the invasion, saying at least 498 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine as the Ukrainian civilian death toll climbs to more than 2,000, per the country’s emergency service. After a Russian strike on a TV tower, air raid sirens rang in the capital Kyiv on Wednesday.
The UN has said that nearly 836,000 people have fled Ukraine since the conflict began and, on Wednesday, 141 member states in its General Assembly voted in favor of condemning Russia’s actions.
According to Ukraine’s military, Russian paratroopers landed in Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city and, on Wednesday, its mayor said that multiple people were killed overnight.
The EU has announced a ban against seven Russian banks and sanctions against Belarus for supporting Russia.
