Russian forces have taken control of a Ukrainian town after they came into the area and entered municipal buildings on Sunday night.
Berdyansk, home to 100,000 people, is a port city with a naval base on the coast of the Sea of Azov. It is close to the Crimea peninsula, which the Kremlin seized from Ukraine in 2014.
The town’s acting mayor, Oleksandr Dvidlo, took to Facebook to share a message to his residents saying that Russian forces arrived and took control.
“A few hours ago, you and I witnessed how heavy military equipment and armed soldiers entered the city and began advancing throughout our hometown,” Svidlo wrote.
“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 also explained that officials were asked to keep on working but had decided to leave the offices.
“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,”Svidlo continued.
“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.”
On Sunday, a Russian news agency said troops had “completely blocked” the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and taken over an airport near Kherson and towns of Henichesk.
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