Russian Armed Forces 'Completely Block' Southern Ukrainian Cities After 'Successful' Offensive Ops

Russian troops have "completely blocked" the southern Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Berdyansk and taken over the towns of Henichesk and an airport near Kherson.

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New Delhi: The Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov gave updates on the crisis between the country and its neighbour Ukraine on Sunday. Russian troops have "completely blocked" the southern Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Berdyansk and taken over the towns of Henichesk and an airport near Kherson.

Konashenkov said, that over the past 24 hours, a group of troops of Lugansk People's Republic with fire support from the Russian Armed Forces, carried out successful offensive operations and has now taken control over Novoakhtyrka, Smolyaninovo, Stanichno-Luhanskoe settlements.

They have advanced 52 kilometres deep since the beginning of the offensive operations. The Donetsk People's Republic troops continued the offensive in the direction of Petrovskoe, advancing another 12 kilometres taking control of Pavlopol and Pischevik, ANI reported. 

Russian troops have "completely blocked" the southern Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Berdyansk and taken over the towns of Henichesk and an airport near Kherson. The Genichevsk city and Chernobaevka airfield near Kherson were also taken under control.

The Russian Defence Ministry said that on Saturday that in the Kharkiv region, the 302nd anti-aircraft missile regiment of Armed Forces of Ukraine, equipped with Buk M-1 air defence systems, voluntarily laid down their arms and surrendered.

They detained 471 Ukrainian servicemen, were treated with respect and after filling their documents they will be sent back to their families.

Russia previously said only that it unleashed air and missile strikes on Ukrainian air bases, air defence batteries and other military facilities.

About the damage caused so far, the spokesperson said that 223 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 28 aircraft (on the ground), 39 multiple rocket launchers, 86 field artillery mounts and mortars, 143 units of special military vehicles were destroyed.