Russia claims control of Kherson region

Russian troops have taken full control of Ukraine's southern region of Kherson, Russia's Defence Ministry said yesterday, although the assertion could not be independently verified.

US defence officials believe that Russia could use Kherson as a springboard into other strategic cities in the country's south, such as Mykolaiv and Odessa.

The capital Kyiv continued to face heavy bombardment, with strikes on residential areas killing at least two people yesterday.

Moscow has also put US President Joe Biden and 12 other top officials on a "stop list" that bars them from entering Russia, in retaliation for sanctions the United States has imposed on Russian officials over the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, decoy devices have been discovered in the Russian missiles fired into Ukraine, US intelligence officials said.