Army, Territorial Defense Forces fully control Chernihiv - mayor

Chernihiv Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko says that the Armed Forces and the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine retain full control the regional center located northeast of Kyiv.

According to Ukrinform, Atroshenko said this in an interview with LB.ua.

"A few weeks ago there were some breakthroughs by sabotage and reconnaissance groups, but they were all liquidated. Today, the Armed Forces and the Territorial Defense Forces are in full control of the city. Sabotage groups are operating in the area, I know that for sure. Spies have been arrested who were sporting our military uniform, had Ukrainian Army servicemen’s IDs, and were well-versed in the situation. One of them even tried to get to a meeting I chaired. It turned out that he was a Russian spy, an officer," the statement reads.

According to Atroshenko, fierce battles for Chernihiv are underway because the city is on the path of advancing enemy troops.

“It doesn’t take a great strategist to understand that the enemy troops coming from the direction of Synkivka-Horodnia-Novi Yarilovychi have no such a great choice of roads; given that in the area of ​​Novi Yarilovychi and Ripky is pretty much swamps. Those areas are impassable: enemy armored vehicles can’t pass, wheeled vehicles – even more so. Their convoys drive along our roads, and Chernihiv is a major nuisance to them. They have to make a detour, which is inconvenient. Chernihiv cuts their lines, their convoys. This is one of the reasons," Atroshenko said.

The second reason, according to the mayor, is history.

"Chernihiv is important because of its history. Putin has repeatedly said that Chernihiv is the cradle of Orthodoxy," Atroshenko said.

As Ukrinform reported, earlier the Chernihiv mayor said Russian troops had been deliberately firing on the city's residential areas.