Russian forces said they had captured a port on the Black Sea on Wednesday as Russian and Ukrainian troops battled for another city and Ukraine’s leader said Moscow wanted to “erase” his country.   

The Russian army said it had taken control of Kherson, as its troops advanced and pounded cities across southern and eastern Ukraine, defying sanctions and international isolation.   

Russian paratroopers also landed in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-biggest city, triggering clashes in the streets, Ukrainian forces said. 

 
The emergency services said four people were killed in the city on Wednesday and there was now “mass shelling and bombing” in the centre.   

The UN said 836,000 people have fled since the conflict began seven days ago, including many students and migrant workers from Africa and the Middle East who had been living in Ukraine.   

Russian troops rolled into Ukraine last week, but Ukrainian troops fought back hard and prevented Russia from capturing the country’s biggest cities.   

On Wednesday, however, Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Russian forces were in now “full control” of Kherson, a city with a population of 290,000 people.   

He said talks were under way between the Russian army and local authorities on maintaining order, protecting the population and keeping public services functioning.   

Ukraine’s army said there was a battle in the country’s second city Kharkiv, in northeast Ukraine. 
KYIV, (AFP), 2 March 2022

Biden pledges not to send US troops to Ukraine

US, (rt.com), 2 March 2022 - President Joe Biden has assured American lawmakers that US military personnel will not be taking part in the war in Ukraine, and not a single service member will be sent to the Eastern European country to fight the Russian Army.

 Delivering his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, Biden stressed that the US “forces are not engaged and will not engage in the conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine.”