Ukraine says 16 killed in Russian attack on Kherson
Strikes are taking place as local authorities announce a 58-hour curfew in the city starting on Friday.
Ukrainian officials say a Russian attack on the southern region of Kherson has killed at least 16 people as local authorities announced the imposition of a curfew in the eponymous capital.
“On the morning of May 3, Russian troops began massive shelling of the city of Kherson and settlements in the region,” the Kherson region prosecutor’s office said in a statement on Wednesday.
It said 12 of the 16 dead were in the city of Kherson. “About 22 civilians” were injured, it added.
Al Jazeera’s Tamer al-Samadi reported from Kherson that the artillery strikes hit one of the few operating superstores in the city, causing casualties among both staff and customers.
“The location was fired on and as a result the whole building was damaged,” al-Samadi said from the scene at dead bodies lying on the ground in a pool of blood.
There was no immediate comment from Russia.
The strikes came as Ukraine prepares for a spring offensive. The city of Kherson – from which Russian troops withdrew last November – is near the front line in southern Ukraine.
Separately on Wednesday, officials announced a curfew in Kherson from 5pm GMT Friday to 3am GMT Monday. Ukrainian authorities have taken similar measures in the past to facilitate troop and arms movements.
“During these 58 hours it is forbidden to move through the streets of the city. The city will also be closed for entry and exit,” the head of Kherson’s regional military administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, told Telegram, advising residents to stock up on food and medicine.
Prokudin said residents could take short walks near their homes or visit shops, but were required to carry identity documents.
“Such temporary restrictions are necessary for law enforcement to do their jobs and not put you at risk,” he wrote.
Kherson was captured by Russian forces in the early days of the February 2022 invasion and remained under Russian occupation until November 2022.
Russian troops at the time withdrew from the city and crossed to the east side of the Dnipro River, which now demarcates part of the front line in southern Ukraine.
Also on Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of a failed attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin in a nighttime drone attack on the Kremlin citadel in the capital Moscow. It said Putin was safe and threatened retaliation.
Ukraine denied any role in the alleged incident and issued warnings of air strikes on the capital, Kyiv and other cities.