Russian-installed Kherson official: referendum plans paused due to security -TASS

A Russian-installed official in Ukraine's Kherson region said on Monday that plans for a referendum on joining Russia had been "paused" due to the security situation, Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported.

TASS quoted Kirill Stremousov as saying that the vital Antonivskyi bridge, which crosses the Dnipro river near Kherson city, can no longer be crossed by car after weeks of Ukrainian shelling.

Almost all of Kherson region was taken by Russian forces from neighbouring Crimea in March. Ukraine last week that it had launched a counter-offensive aimed at retaking the region after weeks of shelling targetting bridges and ammunition depots.

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