city of kherson, russia is tightening its grip. ukraine s flag has been lowered at the city council building. the u.s. mayor says they have seized the local government and plan to stage a referendum to assert here control. and if you crane s north, russian air assaults pummelled kharkiv. most of the residents have fled the constant shellings. for those who remain, or simply cannot leave, it is a difficult life. mark austin met one of the women who stay behind. reporter: it is no place at all for anyone to live, but a few still do. and when help arrives, they are overcome. thank you, she tells the volunteers. you are var brave to come here. but she is 74. she tells us she has lived here for half her life and for the
new information this hour on the size and scope of the russian assault in ukraine. moscow has launched 450 missiles in the early days of the conflict from a senior u.s. defense official. the u.s. ambassador to the united nations last hour says the russian arsenal inside ukraine includes illegal weapons of war including cluster munitions and vacuum bombs as they ramp up strikes on the largest cities. hitting a city council building in kharkiv. stunning images of workers at a nuclear power plant lining up to block russian forces from advancing in the southern part of ukraine. one of the civilian targets hit in recent russian attacks a site right at the holocaust memorial in kyiv. that deadly strike reawakens images of the massacre of thousands of jews.
foreign minister sergei lavrov has said he believed some foreign leaders are preparing for war against russia. president zelensky of ukraine has praised the resilience and determination of his people. and the uk defence secretary ben wallace has said western allies must show russia that they are united and have hard power. this is the current situation in ukraine with the areas in red largely controlled by russian forces. kyiv remains a ukrainian control, but the southern port of kherson has become the first major city to be taken. the mayor said russian troops had forced their way into the city council building and he urged them not to shoot at civilians. there were large explosions overnight in the capital, kyiv, the mayor has said that there have