Russia Evacuates Ukraine Annexed Region

Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that civilians in the Ukrainian region of Kherson which Russia declared it had annexed in September must be evacuated from the conflict zone, state-owned news agency RIA reported.

Under pressure in the south of Ukraine, Russia fired missiles and drones into Ukrainian-held Mykolaiv on Sunday, destroying an apartment block in the ship-building city near the front and said the war was trending towards "uncontrolled escalation".

Russia told people in the occupied Ukrainian city of Kherson to flee for their lives on Sunday as more residents joined an exodus to escape an anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive.

A Kyiv-appointed official in Ukraine's Kherson region that Moscow claims to have annexed said Wednesday that the announced evacuation of civilians from the region's eponymous main city was the equivalent of deportation.

Around five million people, from the parts of Ukraine that Moscow has claimed to have annexed, have left for Russia, a security official was quoted Wednesday as saying by Russian state news agencies.

The Russian-installed leader of the annexed Ukrainian region of Kherson said on Wednesday that authorities plan to evacuate around 50-60,000 people over the next six days amid escalating pressure from a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The head of the Russian-controlled region of Kherson in southern Ukraine said that pro-Kremlin officials were evacuating from the region's main city but vowed Moscow's forces would keep fighting.

The Moscow-installed head of Ukraine's southern Kherson region, which the Kremlin says it has annexed, asked Russia on Thursday to help evacuate civilians from the area, in a sign that a Ukrainian counteroffensive is advancing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that civilians in the Ukrainian region of Kherson which Russia declared it had annexed in September must be evacuated from the conflict zone, state-owned news agency RIA reported.

Under pressure in the south of Ukraine, Russia fired missiles and drones into Ukrainian-held Mykolaiv on Sunday, destroying an apartment block in the ship-building city near the front and said the war was trending towards "uncontrolled escalation".

Russia told people in the occupied Ukrainian city of Kherson to flee for their lives on Sunday as more residents joined an exodus to escape an anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive.

A Kyiv-appointed official in Ukraine's Kherson region that Moscow claims to have annexed said Wednesday that the announced evacuation of civilians from the region's eponymous main city was the equivalent of deportation.

Around five million people, from the parts of Ukraine that Moscow has claimed to have annexed, have left for Russia, a security official was quoted Wednesday as saying by Russian state news agencies.

The Russian-installed leader of the annexed Ukrainian region of Kherson said on Wednesday that authorities plan to evacuate around 50-60,000 people over the next six days amid escalating pressure from a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The head of the Russian-controlled region of Kherson in southern Ukraine said that pro-Kremlin officials were evacuating from the region's main city but vowed Moscow's forces would keep fighting.

The Moscow-installed head of Ukraine's southern Kherson region, which the Kremlin says it has annexed, asked Russia on Thursday to help evacuate civilians from the area, in a sign that a Ukrainian counteroffensive is advancing.