Ukraine claims more than 100 Russian soldiers killed in fighting in Kherson region

Ukraine's southern command said seven Russian tanks were also destroyed in Kherson fighting

The Ukrainian military claimed on Saturday it had killed a substantial number of Russian soldiers and destroyed two ammunition dumps in fighting in the Kherson region.

The Kherson region is the center of Kyiv's counter-offensive in the south and a crucial part of Moscow's supply lines. It was the first major town captured by the Russians following the start of their war in late February.

Ukraine's southern command said more than 100 Russian fighters had been killed, and that seven tanks had been destroyed during fighting Friday in the Kherson region.

The first deputy head of the Kherson regional council, Yuri Sobolevsky, told residents of the region to stay clear of Russia's ammunition dumps.

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"The Ukrainian army is pouring it on against the Russians and this is only the beginning," Sobolevsky wrote on Telegram.

Kherson region Gov. Dmytro Butriy said the Berislav district, which is across the river northwest of the Kakhovka hydroelectric powerplant, was particularly damaged.

"In some villages, not a single home has been left intact, all infrastructure has been destroyed, people are living in cellars," he wrote on Telegram.

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The UK Defense Ministry said in a tweet that Russian forces have likely established two pontoon bridges and a ferry system in the Kherson region in response to nearby bridges being damaged in recent strikes.

Ukraine's southern command said rail traffic to Kherson over the Dnipro River had been cut, which could further isolate the Russian military west of the river from reaching supplies in Crimea and the east.

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Long-range missile systems supplied by the West have been used by Ukraine to impose damage on three bridges across the Dnipro River in recent weeks, cutting off the Kherson region.

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"As a result of fire establishing control over the main transport links in occupied territory, it has been established that traffic over the rail bridge crossing the Dnipro is not possible," Ukraine's southern command said in a statement.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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