Chernihiv is located 128km north of Kyiv. The Ukrainian Army has also said that hundreds of tanks have been disabled and abandoned across Ukraine. Claiming that around 4,500 Russian soldiers had been killed, it said that the “moral and psychological condition of the occupying forces is low.”
27 aircraft, 26 helicopters, 150 tanks and 50 guns have also been destroyed, the armed forces claimed.
Figures for Russian casualties have not been officially released by Moscow.
As of Saturday, 198 Ukrainians had been killed in the conflict.
An additional 1,115 Ukrainian citizens have been injured during Russia’s attack, 33 of them children, Ukraine’s health minister Viktor Liashko said.
The Ukrainian army also claimed that Russian soldiers have breached international humanitarian war, using women and children to “cover” armored vehicles.
Fighting has been ongoing since Thursday, when Putin declared war on Ukraine in the early hours of the morning.
Russian forces entered the country through Belarus, Russian-backed separatist regions and Crimea.
A Facebook post shared to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s offical page at 6pm said: “Conducting an offensive operation in Ukraine, the Russian occupiers use methods of war prohibited by international humanitarian law: seize social infrastructure, wear the uniform of the Ukrainian military, police and State emergency Service, sabotage special forces use ambulances and police cars stolen from hospitals and ambulance car stations; terrorists occupy children’s camps and schools, enemy artillery and MLRS are deployed on sports grounds.
READ MORE: Putin ‘prepared to lose 50,000 troops’ in Ukraine conflict
“Near Koryukivka in the Chernihiv region, conscripts of the Russian Armed Forces are ready to lay down their arms and surrender.
“Hundreds of disabled armored vehicles and tanks have been abandoned all over Ukraine.
“As of 18:00, the loss of enemy personnel amounted to about 4,500 people.
“Destroyed and damaged aircraft – 27 units (to be specified), helicopters – 26 units, tanks – about 150, CAC – more than 700 units, guns – about 50, one SAM BUK, MLRS BM-21 Grad – 4, 60 fuel tanks, 2 UAVs operational-tactical level, ships, boats – 2 units.”
According to an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine has also taken an additional 200 prisoners of war.
In an interview with Sky News, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said that 450 Russian military personnel were killed in the first 24 hours of the invasion.