Kirill Stremousov, deputy governor of the Kherson region, said in a Telegram message published late Tuesday evening that “a battle for Kherson is imminent in the very near future.” For this reason, the pro-Russian authorities of the region located in southern Ukraine ordered civilians to leave the regional capital before a major battle, which the Ukrainian side is also beginning to take for granted, with overlapping accusations between the two sides. .

“In general, the situation in the special war zone can be described as tense,” General Surovikin said, referring to Kherson in speeches for Russian public television.

Several representatives of the administration close to Moscow called on the local population to leave the area as soon as possible in anticipation of an offensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Sergei Surovikin also warned the TASS news agency in his statements about these imminent operations and singled out a hydroelectric plant as a potential target.

Nikolayev Governor Vitaliy Kim, an ally of Kyiv, instead accused Russian troops of preparing to bomb the city of Kherson themselves. In this sense, he assured that it was the occupying forces that began preparing the area for future battles, UNIAN reports.

fighting rages

Ukraine’s Kherson region was one of four whose annexation was signed into law this month by Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite the fact that Russian forces do not control the entire territory.

“The civilian population is advised to leave the area of ​​the upcoming fierce hostilities, if possible, so as not to expose themselves to unnecessary risk,” Stremousov added.

“The enemy is constantly trying to attack the positions of Russian troops,” Sergei Surovikin said in his first TV interview since his appointment earlier this month, adding that the situation around the occupied southern city of Kherson was particularly difficult.

Authorities plan to evacuate 50,000 to 60,000 people over the next six days amid growing pressure from the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Russian Governor Vladimir Saldo said the authorities were moving civilians to the left bank of the Dnieper to “ensure people’s safety” and allow the military to “act decisively.”