Russia will help evacuate civilians from occupied Kherson as Ukraine benefits
Russia said Thursday that its forces would help evacuate residents of occupied Kherson to other areas, as Kyiv stands to benefit from its offensive to retake southern Ukrainian territory.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnulin's announcement came shortly after Vladimir Saldo, the head of the Moscow-backed administration in Kherson, appealed to the Kremlin for help.
The Ukrainian military launched a counteroffensive in Kherson and the eastern part of the country, taking back Russian-held territory and hitting critical infrastructure.
Saldo claimed that cities across Kherson, one of four Ukrainian regions that Russia claims to have annexed in violation of international law, are being hit by dangerous airstrikes.
Saldo said that the local Russian leadership "decided to organize the possibility of the Kherson family traveling to other regions of the Russian Federation."
"We suggested that all residents of the Kherson region, if they so desired, should move to other regions to protect themselves from the consequences of missile attacks ... to take their children.
Fighting in Kherson has intensified in recent weeks, as Kyiv presses ahead with its goal of retaking parts of the region captured in the early days of Russia's invasion. US and Ukrainian officials said last month they hoped to retake all of Kherson by the end of the year.
As of last week, Ukraine said it controlled 2,400 square kilometers (927 square miles) east of Kherson. Authorities in Kiev said Wednesday that it had liberated five more small, rural villages as Ukraine's military pushed further southwest.
As Ukrainian forces advanced, Saldo appealed to Russian leaders to help local Russian-backed officials evacuate civilians.
