Russia has claimed to have taken full control of Kherson Oblast in south Ukraine in what would be a major moment in the war if confirmed.
Russia's defence ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenov said the country's forces had taken full control of all territory in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, Russian news agencies reported.
The claims have yet to be independently confirmed.
Kherson city was taken at the beginning of March, leaving 300,000 citizens to live under the rule of Russian occupiers.
Now the Russian military is claiming to have full control of the broader Kherson region, which has a population of more than a million people.
This weekend Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the Russians wanted to turn Kherson into a pseudo-breakaway state, like Donbass.
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Kherson Oblast also includes strategically important port town Kakhovka and river port Nova Kakhovka.
The region is known as the country's fruit basket and is an important area for both Ukraine and Europe more broadly due to the huge amount of food grown there.
Russia has had much more success invading Ukraine from the south - with its forces moving up through occupied Crimea into Kherson - than in the north.
To the east of the region lies Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where the port city of Berdiansk, urban hub Melitopol and large nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhia have fallen to the Russians.
The citizens of Kherson city have ignored warnings from the Russian occupiers to stay inside over the past two weeks, instead opting to protest their presence on the streets.
On March 5 2,000 people came out to demonstrate, waving the flag and singing the Ukrainian anthem.
Locals yelled “Glory to Ukraine ” and “Death to the enemy” as Russian troops fired bullets into the air.
Eyewitnesses said Russian troops fired automatic rifles in a failed bid to disperse the crowd.
The soldiers later left the city centre, the eyewitnesses said.
At the weekend more than 100 people came out in Kakhovka to demand that the Russians leave and chant "one, united, free Ukraine" while draped in their country's flag.
The situation in Kherson city has become bleak over the past week, according to people living there.
Food is in short supply and the Russian police carefully monitor people's social media feeds to ensure they're not being too overtly pro-Ukrainian.
Shortages of medicine and food in the occupied city have left vulnerable people waiting to die, according to civilians living there.
Shops are open but supplies are not getting through.
Over the weekend President Zelensky warned that the Russians were attempting to take control of the region as they had Donbass.
"The invaders in the Kherson region are trying to repeat the notorious experience of the formation of pseudo republics, blackmail local leaders, put pressure on deputies, look for someone to bribe," he said in a video message on Sunday.
This morning James Cleverly said any attempt by Russia to hold a 'referendum' in areas of Ukraine would "be another attempt to put a veneer of credibility on what is an unacceptable, unjustified illegal invasion".
The Foreign Office minister was speaking to Times Radio after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Russia "may seek to stage a 'referendum' in Kherson in an attempt to legitimise the area as a 'breakaway republic' similar to Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea".
Mr Cleverly said: "What we have seen is that there has been a long-standing disinformation campaign coming out from Russia. There has been all kinds of excuses."
