After Ukraine has recently been able to recapture more and more Russian-occupied areas, Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin’s soldiers threaten the next major setback. Due to a feared offensive by Ukrainian forces, the pro-Russian government has begun to withdraw completely from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. Up to 60,000 civilians are to be evacuated to Russian-occupied territory. The head of the administration of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, described this as a “precautionary measure”.
Kherson had already fallen into Russian hands as the only Ukrainian regional capital in March, shortly after the start of the Russian war of aggression against the neighboring country. In October, Putin finally announced that the area would be annexed to Russia, the illegal annexation is not internationally recognized. Most of the Russian soldiers on the right bank of the Dnipro have been cut off. It is said that artillery strikes made the crossing over the Dnipro impassable.
Russia wants to evacuate 50,000 to 60,000 people
A large-scale evacuation has now begun and the government has announced that civilians will now be banned from entering the region for seven days. 5,000 people have been evacuated in the past two days. In total, “about 50,000 to 60,000” people will be taken across the Dnipro River into the Russian-occupied territory. According to the head of the administration, Saldo, this will take about six days.
“The enemy is targeting infrastructure and residential buildings,” the new commander in chief of Russian forces in Ukraine told Russija 24. Ukraine, on the other hand, accused Russia of propaganda. “The Russians are trying to scare people in Kherson with fake newsletters, after which our army shells the city, and they are also preparing a propaganda show with the evacuations,” Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, wrote on his telegram – Channel . “Propaganda won’t work.”
Has Russia kidnapped Ukrainian children?
Greens spokeswoman for foreign policy and human rights, Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, was deeply concerned about the evacuations. According to Ukrainian reports, more than 100,000 children have been transferred from the occupied territories to Russia or Russian-dominated areas since the start of the war. There, according to Ernst-Dziedzic, they would usually be given up for adoption. This is a “massive violation of international law, especially the rights of children” and “deeply disturbing”. The international community should no longer look the other way, the UN should conduct an independent investigation.
According to Ukrainian sources, the Ukrainian capital Kiev was again the target of Russian missile attacks on Wednesday. Anti-aircraft batteries shot down “several Russian missiles” over Kiev, Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram shopping service. The air raid siren is not over yet, the air defenses are “still in action,” Klitschko wrote. Residents must remain in shelters. Two missile strikes have been reported in the Chernihiv region in the north of the country. An Iranian drone exploded in the region’s capital of the same name.
Ukraine tried to recapture Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant
According to the state-controlled Russian news agency RIA, the Ukrainian army failed to recapture the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant on Wednesday evening. “The fight lasted several hours, at least three to three and a half hours,” RIA quoted Russian official Vladimir Rogov as saying. The Russian troops repulsed the attack. According to Ukrainian sources, around midnight, Russia began shelling the small town of Enerhodar, which is adjacent to the nuclear power plant. Ukraine has not yet provided any information about the alleged attempt to recapture the nuclear power plant.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
