ON THE GROUND

of area had been taken back from Russia troops by Thursday afternoon, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valeriy

Zaluzhny said

Zaluzhny added that Ukrainian troops had destroyed the Russian army's logistics system in the region, leaving the enemy "no other choice" but to flee. "We are continuing our offensive in accordance with our plan."

An adviser to Ukraine's president said on Thursday Russia wanted to turn Kherson into a "city of death", mining everything from apartments to sewers and planning to shell the city from the other side of the river.