Small town Voznesensk blocks Russia's big plans

It was one of the most decisive battles of the war so far - a ferocious two-day struggle for control of the farming town of Voznesensk and its strategically important bridge, reported British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Victory would have enabled Russian forces to sweep further west along the Black Sea coast towards the huge port of Odesa and a major nuclear power plant.

Instead, Ukrainian troops, supported by an eclectic army of local volunteers, delivered a crushing blow to Russian plans, first by blowing up the bridge and then by driving the invading army back, up to 100km, to the east, said the report.

"It's hard to explain how we did it. It's thanks to the fighting spirit of our local people and to the Ukrainian army," said the BBC report, quoting Voznesensk's 32-year-old mayor, Yevheni Velichko, standing in body armour with his guards outside the town hall, as saying.

Click BBC to read the detail original report.