Although Ukraine has not yet taken action, the pro-Russian government is already withdrawing from the city of Kherson. The Russian army expects a massive Ukrainian attack to liberate the occupied city. The head of the region, Vladimir Saldo, said on Wednesday: “From today, all government structures in the city, civil and military administration, all ministries will be moved to the left bank of the river.” army will fight against the Ukrainian troops in the city – namely “to the death”.
Shortly before that, the pro-Russian authorities announced the start of the evacuation of civilians from the region. People were brought across by ferries across the Dnipro River. Civilians are not allowed to enter the region for the next seven days. 5,000 people have been evacuated from the area in the past two days. In total, “about 50,000 to 60,000” people will be taken across the river into the Russian-occupied territory. According to Saldo, this will take about six days.
“Don’t give up without a fight”
However, the evacuations do not mean that the city will be given up without a fight, Saldo clarified. They only want to protect the population from the expected battles. We have enough resources to fend off the Ukrainian attacks. So far, the situation is “stable” and a possible offensive has not yet started, the deputy head of the occupation administration, Kirill Stremousov, said on Wednesday, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS.
In March – shortly after the start of the Russian war of aggression against the neighboring country – Kherson fell into Russian hands as the only Ukrainian regional capital. President Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of the region to Russia in October. The illegal annexation is not recognized internationally. Most of the Russian soldiers on the right bank of the Dnipro have been cut off. The crossings over the Dnipro were made impassable by artillery strikes.
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.
