Almost all of Irpin in Ukrainian hands, says Kyiv mayor

Almost all of the town of Irpin, which has seen fierce fighting in recent weeks, is in Ukrainian hands, the mayor of Kyiv has said.

Earlier in March, thousands of residents fled Irpin, which is just 20km (12 miles) north-west of Kyiv, across the remnants of a blown-up bridge as Russian artillery and air strikes pummelled the area.

Vitali Klitschko told journalists Ukrainian forces had pushed back troops there and also in the town of Makariv, west of Kyiv.

He said Ukrainian forces had “destroyed the plan to make a circle around Kyiv”.

The former boxer also said there were attacks taking place to the north and east of the city. When asked by the BBC’s Lyse Doucet about explosions that appeared to be coming nearer to the city centre, he said: “They will never come to Kyiv.”

He dismissed as “propaganda” Russian claims that a shopping centre bombed on Monday earlier this week was being used as a weapons store.

As we have been reporting, Ukrainian troops have been counter-attacking Russian forces in some areas of the country, including the small southern town of Voznesensk, where Russian forces were pushed back and an armoured convoy destroyed, and in Kherson, close to the Crimean peninsula.