300,000 Ukrainians in Kherson facing ‘humanitarian catastrophe’

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry warned Tuesday that hundreds of thousands of people stranded in the city of Kherson were running low on supplies, which are at dangerously low levels, due to a blockade by Russian troops.

“Kherson’s 300k citizens face a humanitarian catastrophe owing to the Russian army’s blockade. Food and medical supplies have almost run out, yet Russia refuses to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians,” ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on his social media account.

“Russia’s barbaric tactics must be stopped before it is too late!” he added.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which began on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US and UK among others implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 953 civilians have been killed during the war and 1,557 injured, according to a tally by the UN.

The international body warns, however, that the true toll is "considerably higher."

More than 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine amid the Russian attacks, according to the UN refugee agency.