The Russia-installed “administration” of Ukraine’s Kherson region has been evacuated from Kherson to the left bank of the Dnipro River, “deputy head” of the region Kirill Stremousov told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
He said that the administration continues its operations.
“We continue to pay salaries to the officials who stayed, as well as retirement and social packages. Kherson is ready for the heating season,” Stremousov stated, adding that the right bank of the region and its capital are supplied with the necessary goods, food, and medicine.
According to Stremousov,
the region has formed a territorial defence headquarters,
led by “acting governor” Vladimir Saldo.
The occupation “government” announced that Kherson would form territorial defence forces on 24 October. All men remaining in the city can join the territorial defence, the “officials” said.
Russia-appointed “authorities” of the occupied Kherson region of Ukraine began the evacuation of the Kherson city residents to the other bank of the Dnipro River on 19 October. On the same day, the regional “administration” reported that Ukraine had launched an offensive in the region. Entry to the region for civilians from the left bank has been suspended for seven days. Saldo stated that over 70,000 people had been evacuated to the left bank of the Dnipro.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on 22 October that Russian troops had already begun to withdraw from western Kherson region.
