Russian forces are laying siege to the northern Ukraine city of Chernihiv, the mayor says.

LVIV, Ukraine — Russian forces have encircled and are laying siege to the traditional metropolis of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, the mayor mentioned, including that essential infrastructure for its 300,000 residents was quickly failing because it got here beneath repeated bombardment.

“We’re surrounded,” the mayor, Vladyslav Atroshenko, mentioned. Whereas Ukrainian forces are battling to maintain some roads out and in open, the mayor mentioned, Russian forces are attempting to tighten a cordon across the metropolis.

Your complete metropolis is with out fuel for cooking and heating, he mentioned, after Russian shelling destroyed the pipes. Some neighborhoods don’t have any clear water, he mentioned, and the town has been disconnected from the nationwide energy grid, forcing residents to make use of their remaining fuel provides to maintain the lights on. That fuel provide is anticipated to expire in 24 hours, the mayor mentioned.

Russian forces have already besieged the southern metropolis of Mariupol for greater than every week, the place the state of affairs has grown more and more dire. Folks there are being buried in communal graves.

The mayor of Chernihiv, in a message posted on-line on Wednesday, mentioned his metropolis has run out of room to bury its lifeless.

“That is the primary time in my life when I’ve to excavate the graves to bury 5 coffins collectively,” the mayor mentioned. He has posted pressing pleas for assistance on the native authorities web site over the previous couple of days.

“Dozens of individuals have died,” he mentioned in a message. “Dozens of multistory buildings have been ruined. Hundreds of individuals don’t have any place to dwell.”

The town, which lies immediately alongside the Russian invasion route from Belarus to Kyiv, has come beneath assault because the first days of the warfare and the bombardment has intensified, in keeping with native officers, eyewitness accounts and video proof.

The Chernihiv Regional Navy Administration issued a report on Thursday documenting an assault on Wednesday night time, wherein it accused Russian forces of opening hearth in a residential group on the outskirts of the town. Not less than 10 homes had been burned.

“Throughout the previous few days Chernihiv is being beneath violent extreme bombings of Russian preventing aircrafts,” the mayor mentioned. “As much as 17 bombings per day.”

Nonetheless, he mentioned the town had no plans to give up. “Everyone seems to be taking a look at us,” he mentioned. “We now have to be robust.”