Russia's defence ministry has confirmed they have captured the city of Melitopol - in what has been described by news wire Reuters as the first significant population centre to be taken over since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine began on Thursday.

Melitopol is a mid-size city located near the key Ukrainian port of Mariupol, in Ukraine's southern region of Zaporizhzhya.

An estimated 150,000 Ukrainians live in Melitopol.