(Reuters) – The Moscow-appointed governor of the Kherson region in occupied southern Ukraine said on Wednesday that around 50,000 to 60,000 people would be evacuated to Russia and the left bank of the Dnieper River, Reuters reported. Russian state agency Tass, as the Ukrainian army approaches the city of Kherson.
The evacuation is expected to take about six days, Tass said, quoting Vladimir Saldo, the region’s pro-Russian governor.
Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of local administration, in a video urged residents to evacuate, as Russian forces in the area have been pushed back 20-30 km in recent weeks.
Eight months after being invaded, Ukraine is continuing major counter-offensives in the east and south of the country in an attempt to retake as much territory as possible before winter.
Kherson is the most populated area seized by Moscow as part of what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine since February 24. The city sits on territory that President Vladimir Putin says is now officially part of Russia, something Ukraine and the West do not recognize.
Kirill Stremousov said the outskirts of the city of Kherson could be shelled by Ukrainian forces, adding that residents who left would be welcomed back to Russia.
“I ask you to take my words seriously and interpret them as a call to evacuate as quickly as possible,” he said. “We have no intention of surrendering the city, we will stand until the last moment.”
The Ukrainian army, for its part, said on Wednesday that Russian forces had carried out attacks with cruise missiles, anti-aircraft missiles and aircraft in several regions, including Kyiv and Zaporizhia, in the past 24 hours. .
“In addition, the occupiers used 14 Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones, 10 of which were shot down,” she added.
Reuters could not independently verify reports of the fighting.
(Reuters report, written by Himani Sarkar and Andrew Osborn, French version Kate Entringer, edited by Tangi Salaün)