Russia claims to have besieged two big cities in Ukraine south and southeast

MOSCOW, Russia - Moscow claimed Sunday its troops had "entirely" besieged the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and the city of Berdyansk in the southeast, as the Russian army pressed ahead with the invasion of the pro-Western country.

"Over the past 24 hours, the cities of Kherson and Berdyansk have been completely blocked by the Russian armed forces," Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies. — Agence France-Presse