Ukrainian authorities have said that Russian troops have surrounded the northern city of Chernihiv and are bombing areas where locals have been left without electricity, heating and water, according to Reuters.
Chernihiv Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko said the shelling had destroyed a bridge connecting the city with the Ukrainian capital in the south and cut off the main route for humanitarian aid and the evacuation of the wounded.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has previously said that Russian troops have blocked Ukrainian cities, including Chernihiv, to limit Ukrainian military action, and Russia has focused on gaining control of the eastern Donbass region.
“We are completely surrounded and experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe,” Atroshenko said on television, adding: “People have been left without water, without heating, without electricity … people understand that the worst is yet to come.”
Moscow has repeatedly denied attacks on civilians since the February 24 invasion of Ukraine. The mayor said the bombing destroyed more than half of private homes on the outskirts of the city, which had a population of about 285,000 before the conflict and is famous for its historic buildings and ancient churches.
City officials began delivering drinking water to the area through a variety of containers, and locals were forced to cook outdoors outside their homes.
“The city is completely destroyed,” said Mayor Atroshenko.
Vyacheslav Chaus, the governor of the Chernihiv region, said the city came under fire from Russian artillery and combat aircraft. He is “quickly surrounded by the enemy,” Chaus said on national television.
Authorities in Kyiv have said they hope to agree on a humanitarian corridor from Chernihiv tomorrow.