Published
Update
Article written by
The Russian army began evacuating thousands of residents from the city of Kherson (Ukraine) on Wednesday, October 19, in anticipation of a possible Ukrainian offensive to retake the city.
In front of the boats, the lines are getting longer. The 50,000 inhabitants who remained in Kherson (Ukraine) are starting to leave the city. Their faces are closed. They leave their homes maybe forever. This evacuation was ordered by the Russian occupation authorities, worried about the advance of Ukrainian troops. Interviewed by Russian television, some say they fear for their lives.
Kherson, which had 300,000 inhabitants before the war, is the only major city conquered by the Russians. The bridge connecting the city to the left bank was bombed, upstream another bridge is also out of service. Hampered with supplies and isolated, the Russians were under threat from the Ukrainians. “Our priority is to preserve the lives of our civilians and our military. We will act consciously, without excluding taking the most difficult decisions”admitted Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian troops in Ukraine.