Putin TOLD Civilians Leave Ukraine's Kherson: They Can't Stop

Illustration of Russian troops in Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons.mil.ru)

JAKARTA - Vladimir Putin warned civilians in Ukraine's Kherson province - claimed Russia had been annexed in September - should be immediately evacuated from the conflict zone. Russian troops may be preparing to leave the western edge of Dnipro.

Russia will seek to contain the city of Kherson itself, the largest urban area under Russian occupation, at any cost.

"Now, of course, those living in Kherson must be removed from the most dangerous action zone, because civilians should not suffer," Putin was quoted as saying by The Guardian, Friday, November 4.

As Ukrainian troops approached, Russia had moved reinforcements and dug into positions against efforts expected by Ukraine to try to take key cities, setting scenes for potential violent battles.

While Russia has removed some 60,000 residents of the Kherson region from the front line, others remain, determined to stay in their homes.

Ukraine has released large parts of Kherson's oblast but progress has slowed in recent weeks as Ukrainian troops have approached Dnipro.

On Thursday, Russia-appointed deputy governor Kherson Kirill Stremousov issued several videos calling for civilians to leave the province on the west bank of Dnipro. He said Russian troops were likely to soon hand over the west bank of the river to Ukraine.

Authorities lowered the Russian flag from the Kherson government building on the west bank on Thursday, a week after local governments moved.

Ukraine's southern military spokesman, Natalia Humeniuk, said removing the flag could be a trick "and we don't have to rush to joy".

The Ukrainian government on Wednesday urged citizens not to upload details about the missing soldiers and civilians, saying this could help Russia.

It said detailed uploads made it easier for Russia to identify valuable prisoners, tracking people trying to avoid arrests.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said people were turning to social media to seek more information, especially about soldiers who were lit up or missing.

"Why is such an upload dangerous? The point is that this particular person may be passionate about it, but the enemy considers him a civilian," he wrote on Telegram.