In response to the advance of Ukrainian forces in the Kherson region in the south of the country, the pro-Russian occupation authorities asked, on Saturday October 22, all civilians to leave “immediately” places. Franceinfo takes stock of the day’s news on the war front in Ukraine.
The battle of Kherson looms
“The city of Kherson, like a fortress, prepares its defense”, warned a local occupation official yesterday. Evacuations to the left bank of the Dnieper River, which borders the city of Kherson, underway since Wednesday, took on a new dimension on Saturday.
“All civilian inhabitants of Kherson must immediately leave the city”hammered on Telegram the pro-Russian occupation administration of the region, referring to a “tense situation on the front” and “an increased danger of massive bombardment”.
Energy infrastructure still in Russian sights
Moscow continues to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches. New Russian strikes targeted several of these infrastructures in western Ukraine on Saturday, the operator Ukrenergo said. Result: pMore than a million households found themselves in the dark across the country on Saturday, October 22, according to a communication on social networks from Kyrylo Tymoshenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s services, in particular, reported 672,000 subscribers “disconnected” in the Khmelnytskyi region, between the capital kyiv and the city of Lviv. In the Cherkasy oblast, in the center of the country, no less than 242,000 households also found themselves in the dark.
Volodymyr Zelensky denounces “cowardly strikes”
The reaction of the Ukrainian head of state was quick. On Telegram, Volodymyr Zelensky denounced “a massive attack and cowardly strikes on essential sites”. He also claims that most of the 36 rockets launched in recent hours “were slaughtered” by Ukrainian anti-aircraft forces.
These new attacks carried out by Russia “on energy installations of the main networks in the western regions of Ukraine”according to operator Ukrenergo, come as Vladimir Putin’s troops continue to lose ground, especially on the side of the city of Kherson in which the pro-Russian occupation authorities on Saturday called on all civilians to evacuate “immediately” The area.
Meeting between the Russian and American Ministers of Defense
Russian Defense Ministers Sergei Shoigu and US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin spoke by phone on Friday, with the Pentagon chief stressing the need to keep “communication channels” open.
Lloyd Austin also had an exchange with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiï Reznikov, reiterating “the unwavering commitment of the United States to support Ukraine’s ability to counter Russian aggression”.
kyiv on Friday requested an international observation mission at the Kakhovka dam, upstream from Kherson, where it accuses Russia of “consciously preparing the ground for a large-scale disaster”.
On Thursday, Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian forces of having “mined the dam and units of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station”which the Russian occupation authorities in Kherson deny.