A full evacuation of Kherson is not currently planned, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. According to him, such a measure would be necessary if there were a significant change in the military situation along the Dnipro, but at present he does not see such a possibility.
Prokudin pointed out that the evacuation of a large city cannot be organised in a day or two. Transit centres are being prepared in Mykolaiv, through which people will be evacuated and temporarily accommodated. Their capacity is around 2,300 people per day, which, according to the regional governor, would be insufficient in the event of a mass evacuation.
About 1,300 people remain in Oleshky
According to an assessment by the Kherson Regional Military Administration, around 1,300 civilians remain in the temporarily occupied city of Oleshky. Prokudin said that the situation was critical in another 34 villages on the left bank, while in 58 others it was moderately critical. The main problems include a lack of electricity, gas, water and food supplies.
According to him, the humanitarian aid delivered during the mission to the area did not reach the residents of Oleshky. Ukraine has mainly assisted the population using drones, while American philanthropist Howard Buffett provided 10 tonnes of food, the regional governor claims.
Russian forces used the pause to strengthen their positions
According to Prokudin, during the ceasefire in Oleshky, Russian forces rotated personnel, restored destroyed positions and delivered fuel, generators and food. He also claims that drones, artillery, ammunition and Grad multiple rocket launchers were transferred to the area.
The regional governor expects attacks to increase after the ceasefire ends. According to him, Russian forces carry out between 700 and 800 drone attacks a day against Kherson and the coastal municipalities. These figures are his claim, quoted by Ukrainska Pravda.
Warning of prolonged power outages
Against this backdrop, Ukraine’s electricity transmission operator Ukrenergo warned that on Wednesday, power outages in some areas could last more than 12 hours. The restrictions have been introduced because of insufficient generating capacity and the need to balance the system.
Schedules for planned outages may be changed depending on the load and the condition of the grid. In addition, emergency restrictions may be imposed if new damage occurs or consumption rises sharply.
Sources: pravda.com.ua, epravda.com.ua