Russia-Ukraine war: Putin says civilians 'should be removed' from Moscow-occupied Kherson

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (November 4) said that all the civilians should be taken out of Moscow-occupied Kherson region in southern Ukraine, stating that the civilian population "should not suffer" from the shelling. Meanwhile, the Russian army has said that more than 5,000 civilians have been evacuated from the Kherson region of southern Ukraine each day.

The southern region of Kherson was occupied by Moscow in February, but the Ukrainian forces are piling pressure on Russian troops with counterattacks.The Russian troops have been leading evacuations since mid-October.

The fighting in Kherson has become strategically important in the current course of Russia‘s war in Ukraine and losing control of the region would be a big setback for the Russian president.

WATCH |Russia signals retreat in southern Ukraine but Kyiv fears trap

Putin’s comments came as he marked Russia’s Day of National Unity in Red Square in central Moscow. He said: “Now, of course, those living in Kherson should be removed from the zone where the most dangerous (military) action is on.”

He said that the ongoing actions might impact the common people and they should not suffer from the shelling, from the "offensives, counter-offensives" or any other actions connected to the military activities that are underway.

Kirill Stremousov, who is the Russian-appointed deputy governor of Kherson, appealed to civilians to leave the part of the province on the west bank of the Dnipro river. In video messages, he said that Russian forces would likely soon give up the west bank of the Dnipro to Ukraine.

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