People in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson were on Thursday urged to leave due to intensifying Russian attacks that risked cutting electricity and heating supplies for an extended period.
“I am once again addressing the residents of Kherson, especially families with children and elderly people: if you have the possibility … please leave,” regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram.
Prokudin said there was an “extremely difficult security situation” in Kherson, which had about 280,000 inhabitants before the start of Russia‘s invasion in February 2022.
“The enemy is intensifying its attacks every day on the region’s critical infrastructure,” he added.
“Last night, Russian forces again attacked Kherson’s district heating plant with glide bombs … the facility sustained very serious damage.
“Kherson may find itself without electricity or heating not for hours or days but for a long period.
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“Currently, there is no way to destroy these types of drones or the aerial bombs in any region of our country.”
Russia and Ukraine have for several months been ramping up their long-range strikes, increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure such as logistics warehouses and oil and port facilities.
Civilian casualties are growing as a result.
Last winter, the Russian army repeatedly struck Ukrainian power plants, plunging millions of people into cold and darkness.
Kherson was under Russian control from March to November 2022. Russian forces are now positioned on the other side of the Dnipro river that borders it and regularly shell the city.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
