Civilians in the Russian-occupied Kherson region of Ukraine were being asked to evacuate on Friday, a move that Ukrainian officials called a sign of panic, as Kyiv’s forces continued their biggest advance in the south since the war began.
The first civilians fleeing from Kherson were expected to arrive later in the day in Russia’s Rostov region, which borders eastern Ukraine, according to Russian state news media reports.
Kyiv’s forces crashed through Russia’s Kherson front line early this month and have continued to make gains as part of an advance toward the city of Kherson itself. In the past month, Ukraine’s forces have retaken more than 600 towns and villages that were under Russian occupation, including 75 in the Kherson region, Ukraine’s Ministry for Reintegration of the Temporary Occupied Territories said in a statement.
On Thursday, Russia made the decision “to organize assistance for the departure of residents” of the Kherson region, Russia’s deputy prime minister, Marat Khusnullin, said on Russian state television.
Civilians fleeing Kherson are advised to travel to Russia or Crimea.
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