Russian forces cut off Ukraine's Chernihiv city, says mayor

City authorities had resorted to delivering water to districts in whatever containers they could find, while residents had to cook on open fires outside their homes

Ukrainian authorities said on Friday Russian forces had effectively surrounded the northern city of Chernihiv and were bombarding areas where residents were stuck without electricity, heating and water. Chernihiv's mayor, Vladyslav Atroshenko, said bombing had destroyed a bridge linking the city to Ukraine's capital to the south, severing the main route for humanitarian aid and the evacuation of wounded people.
 

Reuters could not confirm the accounts from Chernihiv, which lies near the border with Belarus.
 

Russia's defence ministry earlier said its forces had "blocked" Ukrainian cities, including Chernihiv, to tie down the Ukrainian military while Russia focused on taking control