According to reports, the Russian military has taken control of, Berdyansk, a minor Ukrainian town in the country’s south region.
The port city is in the southeast of Ukraine, with a naval base on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov. It has a population of 100,000 people. It is adjacent to the Crimea peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 and from where one of multiple invading troops was launched.
On Facebook, the town’s acting mayor, Oleksandr Svidlo, acknowledged that the Russian military entered the town and took over on Sunday night.
He wrote in a Facebook post, “A few hours ago, you and I witnessed how heavy military equipment and armed soldiers entered the city and began advancing throughout our hometown. As soon as I learned about that, I tried to inform all the residents of the city so that you have the opportunity to hide in shelters.
“Some time ago, armed soldiers entered the executive committee building and introduced themselves as soldiers of the Russian army, they informed us that all administrative buildings were under their control and that they were taking control of the executive committee building.”
He described how officials were requested to continue working, but instead chose to leave the town hall offices.
The acting mayor said, “Under the control of armed men, I consider this proposal unacceptable, so we, as all members of the operational headquarters, left the building of the executive committee.
“Today Berdyansk was on the line of fire. I don’t know what tomorrow will be like, but I think tonight will be very, very hard,” he said.
Russian troops have also ‘totally blocked’ the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and taken control of the towns of Henichesk and an airport near Kherson, according to a Russian state-owned news outlet.
