By COLlive reporter
The Russian army claimed on Wednesday it had taken control of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson as Moscow’s invasion of the country entered its seventh day.
“The Russian divisions of the armed forces have taken the regional center of Kherson under full control,” defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in televised remarks.
Kherson’s mayor Igor Kolykhaiev said in a post on Facebook: “We are still Ukraine. Still firm.”
Apparently contradicting the Russian army’s claims, he said he needed to find a way to “collect the (bodies of the) dead” and “restore electricity, gas, water and heating where they are damaged.”
“But I warn you right away: to complete these tasks today means to perform a miracle,” he added.
Kherson’s Chief Rabbi, Chabad Shliach Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Wolf, said he is worried for the safety of his congregation, adding that he was looking into options to evacuate the community from the southern Ukrainian city.
“The Russian armed forces came in yesterday, and I am not an expert in ballistics but we could hear heavy artillery and shooting. Shooting and explosions are being heard in the middle of the city,” Rabbi Wolf said.
The city has been taken over by Russians,” he described. “Yesterday, there were tanks and armored vehicles all over the city,” he said. “We have instructed everyone not to leave their homes.”
There are thousands of Jews in the area, in the city itself there are hundreds of Jewish families.
“Thank G-d we have stocked up on food and medicine – more by chance than anything else. We bought a large quantity of food and until the day before yesterday we were busy distributing food to thousands, so now hopefully they are set for the next few days.
“As of now there is nothing being supplied to the city, so we pray this will end quickly,” he said.
