Russian forces have repelled Ukrainian attacks in the southern Kherson region and eastern Luhansk area, the Kremlin’s defence ministry claimed today.
As Ukrainian troops continue with their counteroffensive in the east, Russian-installed officials have been evacuating thousands of civilians from Kherson across the Dnipro river.
Kherson’s regional capital is the only big city Russia has captured intact since the start of the invasion.
And the province controls the gateway to Crimea, which Russia seized and claimed to annex in 2014.
On Monday, pro-Russian authorities in the region announced that men who stayed in the area would have the option of joining a military self-defence unit.
However, Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military spy chief, told the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet: “They are creating the illusion that all is lost.
“Yet at the same time, they are moving new military units in and preparing to defend the streets of Kherson.”