According to the Ukrainian army, the fighting around Kyiv is escalating. Russia appointed a loyal mayor of Melitopol, the legal head of which was previously arrested.
The Russian ground forces actually wanted to occupy several settlements around Mykolaiv. Reinforcements came from a tactical group of one of the marines of the Russian Baltic Fleet.
There is heavy fighting in the vicinity of Kyiv in Irbeni and Makarev.
Earlier, about 20,000 residents were evacuated from Irbini, Poha, Hostomell and Forzel.
Russian soldiers kidnapped the mayor of southern Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, on Friday on the grounds that he supports extremists. The Ukrainian representative of the friendly Galina Danilchenko in the Kremlin is now appointed in his place. Danilchenko called on the city’s residents to adapt to the new situation and not protest against the Russian occupation. He is the first head of administration to be recruited by the Russian army occupying Ukraine.
Alexander Staroh, the military commander of the Zaporizhia region, said on Sunday that Russian forces had kidnapped the mayor of Dniprorodin in southern Ukraine. The city, with a population of 20 thousand, is located on the banks of the Dnieper River.
According to the Ankara Foreign Ministry, Turkey called on Russia to allow Turkish citizens to flee from Mariupol, which is also in the south and besieged.
Opening photo: MTI / AP / Felipe Dana