KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian and Ukrainian troops appear to be girding for a major battle over the strategic southern industrial port city of Kherson. That’s in a region where Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared martial law, after illegally annexing it. Fighting and evacuations were reported in the region as Moscow tried to pound the invaded country into submission with more missile and drone attacks on critical infrastructure. Putin declared martial law in the Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions on Wednesday in an attempt to assert Russian authority in the annexed areas as he faced battlefield setbacks, a troubled troop mobilization and increasing domestic and international criticism and sanctions. Ukrainian forces mounted 15 attacks on Russian military strongholds in Kherson.
Russian, Ukrainian troops gird for major battle in Kherson
