Ukraine Says Secured Kharkiv, Expelling Russian Troops

Ukrainian forces secured full control of Kharkiv on Sunday following street fighting with Russian troops in the country's second biggest city, the local governor said.

"Kharkiv is fully under our control," the head of the regional administration, Oleg Sinegubov, said on messaging app Telegram, adding that the army was expelling Russian forces during a "clean-up" operation.

Earlier Sunday he had said that Russian forces' light vehicles broke into the city, with fighting breaking out in the streets. 

An AFP correspondent in the city heard machine gun fire and explosions. 

Sinegubov said that Russian troops were "absolutely demoralized."

He said Russian forces were abandoning their vehicles "in the middle of the road" and groups of five were surrendering to the Ukrainian army. 

"As soon as they see at least one representative of the armed forces, they surrender," Sinegubov said.

He said that "dozens" of Russian soldiers have already surrendered.

"The captured Russian fighters speak of complete exhaustion and demoralization, they have no connection with the central command, they do not understand and do not know what they do next," the Kharkiv governor said.

"Since the beginning of the attack on Ukraine, they have not received food and water," he added. 

"Leaving the positions, Russian fighters are trying to hide among the civilian population, asking people for clothes and food."