Ukraine accused Russia on Monday of looting empty homes in the southern city of Kherson and occupying them with troops in civilian clothes to prepare for street fighting in what both sides predict will be one of the war's most important battles.
In recent days Russia has ordered civilians out of Kherson in anticipation of a Ukrainian assault to recapture the city, the only regional capital Moscow has seized since its invasion in February.
Kherson, with a pre-war population of nearly 300,000, has been left cold and dark after power and water were cut to the surrounding area over the past 48 hours, both sides said.
Russian-installed officials blamed Ukrainian "sabotage" and said they were working to restore electricity. Ukrainian officials said the Russians had dismantled 1.5 km of power lines, and electricity probably would not return until Ukrainian forces recapture the area.
Kyiv has described the evacuation of the area as a forced deportation, a war crime. Moscow says it is sending residents away for safety.
Kherson lies in the only pocket of Russian-held territory on the west bank of the Dnipro River that bisects Ukraine. Recapturing it has been the main focus of Ukraine's counter-offensive in the south which has accelerated since the start of October.
The situation inside Kherson could not be independently confirmed. Ukrainian forces on the nearby frontline have told Reuters in recent days they expect a bitter fight against Russian troops determined to exact a blood price before being forced out.
"While Kherson residents are being forcibly deported from their homes, talking about 'evacuation', ru-military and FSB officers are doing what they love most - robbing their houses," Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted on Monday.
Ukraine's military said in an overnight update that Russian forces, "disguised in civilian clothes, occupy the premises of civilians and strengthen positions inside for conducting street battles".
Reuters was seeking comment from Russian authorities on the Ukrainian allegations. Moscow denies abusing civilians.
'THEY CALL PEOPLE MEAT'
On the diplomatic front, both the White House and Kremlin declined to comment on a report in the Wall Street Journal that U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had held talks with aides to President Vladimir Putin, aiming to reduce the risk of the war escalating.
Podolyak said Ukraine was ready to negotiate an end to the war with a future Russian leader but not Putin, after a Washington Post report that the United States had urged Kyiv to signal a readiness for peace talks to ensure it retains Western support.
"Ukraine has never refused to negotiate. Our negotiating position is known and open," Podolyak said on Twitter, adding that Russia should first withdraw forces from Ukraine.
"Is Putin ready? Obviously not. Therefore, we are constructive in our assessment: We will talk with the next leader of (Russia)," he said.
The war has inflicted major damage on the global economy and raised fears of nuclear conflict. In its report, the Washington Post said Kyiv's rejection of talks with Putin had raised concern among supportive governments facing constituencies wary of fuelling a costly war for years to come.
Russia sent thousands of troops to reinforce the Kherson area but has hinted in recent days it could pull out. The deputy head of the Russian-installed administration, Kirill Stremousov, said last week Russia was likely to withdraw across the river, although there was silence from his higher-ups in Moscow.
Russia lost all of the territory it captured in northern Ukraine in the weeks after the invasion, and in recent months has faced major setbacks in the east and south.
Putin has responded to the losses by calling up hundreds of thousands of reservists and announcing the annexation of occupied lands. He said on Monday 50,000 newly recruited reservists were already fighting in combat units.
But as more and more troops get sent to the front and casualties mount with few fresh signs of gains, there has been increasing disquiet within Russia over the conduct of the war.
Russia's defence ministry took the rare step on Monday of denying that an elite unit had suffered catastrophic losses in a pointless assault, after Russian military bloggers posted an open letter from surviving members of the Pacific Fleet's 155th marine brigade.
In the letter, addressed to Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of the unit's Pacific coast base home region, the marines said that over just four days their unit had lost 300 men killed, wounded or missing, and half of their equipment.
They blamed generals seeking medals and bonuses, who "call people meat".
In a video message, Kozhemyako acknowledged the letter but said it exaggerated the losses: "We contacted the commanders. Yes there are losses, there's heavy fighting, but they are far from what is written in this appeal," the governor said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
