The key to the south of Ukraine
As the Ukrainian war entered the 7th day (March 2), the Russian army entered the city of about 300,000 people in southern Ukraine.
On the same day, when it was reported that the center of Kherson city was under Russian control, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the Russian army had "completely controlled" Kherson.
Kherson Mayor Ihor Kolykhaev and a senior Ukrainian government official also confirmed Kherson's defeat. Russian forces have surrounded the city and after days of fierce fighting, Ukrainian forces have retreated towards the nearby city of Mykolaiv, Kolykhaev said on March 2.
Just a few hours earlier, Ukrainian officials said the Kherson city government was still operating while the Mayor said Kherson was "waiting for a miracle".
Kherson Kolykhaev said about 10 armed Russian officers, including the Russian commander, had entered the city hall and planned to set up a Russian administrative center there.
CNN reporter Nick Paton Walsh reported from Ukraine on March 2 that the Russian military appears to be in significant control of the 300,000-people Ukrainian city in the northwest of the Crimea peninsula. Russia is said to have imposed a curfew along with a ban on people walking in groups after Kherson fell.
The BBC said Kherson has strict curfews from 8pm to 6am; only move in groups of up to two people; only allow cars carrying food, medicine and other items into the city at minimum speeds.
The capture of Kherson, according to Reuters, is strategic in nature as it would allow Russia to take more control of Ukraine's southern coastline and advance toward the western city of Odessa.
The capture of Kherson demonstrates a major strategic achievement of the Russian army in the military campaign in Ukraine, Newsweek said.
The homeland of the key shipping industry and a major economic hub of the country, Kherson is located along Ukraine's longest waterway, the Dnepr River, which provides access to key areas of Ukraine's inland.
In addition to providing access to the Crimea territory acquired by Russia in 2014 as well as the important port city of Odessa, control of Kherson is important for Russia because of its location adjacent to the Black Sea.
The Black Sea is an important economic artery of Eastern Europe, helping to reach neighboring countries such as Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. "Kherson is the key to southern Ukraine," lawyer Sergiy Dmitruk told The Globe and Mail.
The situation of major cities in Ukraine
Kherson fell as the Russian army continued to actively attack another major Ukrainian city, Kharkiv. There were reports of Russian parading into Kharkiv with explosives that shook many areas of the second largest city of Ukraine on March 2.
A city of 1.5 million people in eastern Ukraine said 21 people were killed in shelling and airstrikes in the city on January 1 and four others on the morning of March 2.
A further attack could make Kharkiv the second largest city in Ukraine under Russian control.
In the south, in the port city of Mariupol, hundreds of people are believed to have died after more than 15 hours of continuous shelling. Deputy Mayor Serhiy Orlov said that Russian forces are surrounding the city from all directions and are several kilometers away from the city center. In addition to the important infrastructure being bombed, many areas of the city had power and water cut off.
However, Russia's efforts to surround the capital Kiev have been slow. A US official said that the Russian army's huge convoy approaching the Ukrainian capital from the north has been moving barely all day.
Russian forces are continuing to advance through many strategic strongholds despite facing resistance from Ukrainian forces. In particular, concerns have arisen over fighting in locations that could be environmentally harmful, including Ukrainian nuclear facilities.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe and among the top 10 largest in the world, is being surrounded by Russian forces. Another notable location is the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which was shut down in 1986 and was also under Russian control.
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, the United Nations Office for Human Rights confirmed on 2 February that 227 civilians had been killed and 525 injured in Ukraine as of midnight on 1 January after Russia launched a military campaign in Ukraine.
Russia said it has sent delegates to the second round of peace talks at the Belarus border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russia must stop bombing if it wants to negotiate.
