In the Russian-held Kherson region, 50,000 to 60,000 people have been advised to leave the area. The Ukrainian army has been on an offensive in the southern region for weeks and is slowly advancing on the region’s capital. Several villages have recently been recaptured.

From the port of the city of Kherson, people can be taken to the southern bank of the Dnieper. “For this, ferries are used to bring people to Alyoshki and Hola Pristan,” the Russia-installed administration reported on Telegram. “There is an emergency shelter set up where helpers continue to determine the journey. They take into account what someone wants.”

People are evacuated by ferries:

Russia-appointed regional governor Vladimir Saldo says the Russian military must have all the means to repel the attack. “In order for the military to be certain that it doesn’t have to show any consideration to civilians, it is necessary for them to be relocated,” says Saldo. According to him, about 5,000 people were evacuated. The civil authorities are also being asked to withdraw.

According to the balance, the evacuation will take about six days. Residents can choose a destination in Russia or in the “new territories,” he says. The latter probably refers to parts of Ukraine conquered by Russia.

Territory reclaimed

The Ukrainian army has been advancing for weeks and is retaking much ground, especially on the west bank of the Dnieper. For Russia, the terrain they still hold is strategically important, for example for a possible further advance towards cities around the Black Sea like Odessa or Mykolaiv.

The new commander of Russia’s forces in Ukraine, Sergei Surovikin, yesterday warned of a major Ukrainian attack and also urged an evacuation in Kherson. “The Ukrainian regime wants to breach our defenses,” he said. Surovikin described the situation in Ukraine as extremely tense.