In Pictures

Gallery|Russia-Ukraine war

Photos: Russian authorities ask civilians to leave Kherson city

Thousands of civilians have been leaving Kerson after warnings about a Ukrainian offensive to recapture the city.

Civilians evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson
Civilians evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson disembark a ferry as they arrive in the town of Oleshky, Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine. [Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters]
Published On 23 Oct 2022

Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine have advised residents of Kherson city to leave “immediately” ahead of an expected advance by Ukrainian troops.

The regional administration posted a message on the Telegram app on Saturday urging civilians to leave the city, citing an anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive to recapture one of the first urban areas Russia took after invading the country.

Kherson has been in Russian hands since the early days of the nearly 8-month-long invasion of Ukraine. It is the capital of a region of the same name, one of four that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed last month and put under Russian martial law on Thursday.

On Friday, Ukrainian forces bombarded Russian positions across the province, targeting pro-Kremlin forces’ resupply routes across the Dnieper River and preparing for a final push to reclaim the city.

The Ukrainian military has reclaimed broad areas in the north of the region since launching a counteroffensive in late August. It reported new successes on Saturday, saying Russian troops were forced to retreat from the villages of Charivne and Chkalove in the Beryslav district.

Kherson’s Kremlin-backed authorities previously announced plans to evacuate all Russian-appointed officials and as many as 60,000 civilians across the river, in what local leader Vladimir Saldo said would be an “organised, gradual displacement.”

Another Russian-installed official estimated Saturday that approximately 25,000 people from across the region had made their way over the Dnieper. In a Telegram post, Kirill Stremousov claimed that civilians were relocating willingly.

Ukrainian and Western officials have expressed concern about potential forced transfers of residents to Russia or Russian-occupied territory.

Ukrainian officials urged Kherson residents to resist attempts to relocate them, with one local official alleging that Moscow wanted to take civilians hostage and use them as human shields.

Civilians evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson
Civilians evacuated from Kherson disembark a ferry as they arrive in the town of Oleshky. [Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters]
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Civilians evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson
Civilians evacuated from Kherson wait to board a bus heading to Crimea, in the town of Oleshky. [Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters]
Civilians evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson
Russian occupation authorities in the Ukrainian city of Kherson told civilians on Saturday they should leave immediately because of what they called the tense military situation as Ukraine's forces advance. [Alexey Pavlishak/Reuters]
Civilians evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson
Local people evacuated from Kherson arrive at the railway station in Dzhankoy, Crimea, where temporary accommodation centres have been set up. [EPA]
Civilians evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson
Kherson acting Governor Saldo said the measure to evacuate people from Kherson was a precaution due to the tense situation on the line of contact and the increased threat of rocket and artillery attacks on the territory. [Alexey Pavlishak/Reuters]
Civilians evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson
Civilians evacuated from Kherson arrive at a railway station in the town of Dzhankoi, Crimea. The battle for Kherson, which has been under Russian control for almost the whole of the eight-month invasion, appears to be reaching a critical juncture as advancing Ukrainian forces threaten to pin Russian troops along the Dnieper's west bank. [Alexey Pavlishak/Reuters]
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Civilians evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson
The Russian-installed leader of the region said Russia was planning to move an estimated 10,000 residents a day from Kherson and that it was preparing to take in residents in anticipation of Ukraine's counterattack. [Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters]