INTERNATIONAL: Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov has announced on Wednesday ,March 2, that the Russian armed forces have taken control of the Ukrainian city of Kherson.

Strategically located on the Dniepr river, the provincial capital, was the biggest city to fall to Russian forces so far.

Governor of the Kherson region has said on Wednesday that the city is completely surrounded by Russians.

Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry has also announced that 498 Russian soldiers had died in Ukraine and another 1,597 had been wounded since the beginning of Moscow's military operation there.

It was the first time that Moscow had put a figure on its casualties.

The ministry has added that more than 2,870 Ukrainian soldiers and "nationalists" had been killed and about 3,700 wounded. The numbers could not be independently verified and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.