Russia hits Ukraine homes, evacuates Kherson, warns of escalation - Reuters

MYKOLAIV, Ukraine, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Russia fired missiles and drones into the Ukrainian-held confederate municipality of Mykolaiv, destroying an flat block, and said the warfare was trending towards "uncontrolled escalation" successful a flurry of telephone calls to Western defence ministers.

The onslaught connected the shipbuilding municipality astir 35 km (22 miles) northwest of the beforehand enactment successful Kherson came arsenic Russia ordered 60,000 radical to fly the portion "to prevention your lives" successful the look of a Ukrainian antagonistic offensive.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the "rapidly deteriorating situation" successful telephone calls with British, French and Turkish counterparts, the ministry said.

He besides spoke by telephone with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for the 2nd clip successful 3 days. The Pentagon said Austin told Shoigu helium "rejected immoderate pretext for Russian escalation."

Without providing evidence, Shoigu said Ukraine could escalate by utilizing a "dirty bomb", oregon accepted explosives laced with radioactive material.

Ukraine does not person atomic weapons, portion Russia has said it could support its territory with its atomic arsenal.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba rejected the accusation arsenic "absurd" and "dangerous", adding: "Russians often impeach others of what they program themselves."

In a associated connection aft the talks, Britain, France and the United States said they were committed to supporting Ukraine "for arsenic agelong arsenic it takes" and rejected Russia's informing astir a "dirty bomb".

"Our countries made wide that we each cull Russia’s transparently mendacious allegations that Ukraine is preparing to usage a soiled weaponry connected its ain territory," they said.

"The satellite would spot done immoderate effort to usage this allegation arsenic a pretext for escalation."

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Sunday's rocket onslaught successful Mykolaiv wiped retired the apical level of the flat block, sending shrapnel and debris crossed a plaza and into neighbouring buildings, Reuters witnessed. No fatalities were recorded.

"After the archetypal blast, I tried to get out, but the doorway was stuck," said Oleksandr Mezinov, 50, who was woken from his furniture by the blasts. "After a infinitesimal oregon two, determination was a 2nd large blast. Our doorway was blown into the corridor."

On Sunday, Ukraine's General Staff said anti-aircraft defences had changeable down 12 of Russia's Iranian-made Shahed-136 onslaught drones successful the past 24 hours.

Tehran denies supplying the weapons to Russia.

Britain's defence ministry said Russia was utilizing the Iranian uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) to substitute for progressively scarce Russian-made long-range precision weapons.

But Ukraine's efforts to incorporate the UAVs person been successful, the ministry added connected Monday successful its Twitter update.

Ukraine's advances successful caller weeks astir Kherson and successful the country's northeast person been met with intensifying Russian rocket and drone attacks connected civilian infrastructure, which person destroyed astir 40% of Ukraine's powerfulness strategy up of winter.

On Monday, the region's Russian-installed medication announced the enactment of a section militia, saying that each men remaining successful the metropolis could join.

Russian troops person withdrawn from parts of the beforehand and concern authorities are evacuating civilians deeper into Russian-held territory earlier an expected conflict for Kherson, the determination superior connected the westbound slope of the Dnipro river.

Kherson is simply a gateway to Crimea, which Russia annexed successful 2014.

"The concern contiguous is difficult. It's captious to prevention your lives," Russian Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov said successful a video message. "It won't beryllium for long. You volition decidedly return."

Russia-installed authorities determination reported insufficient vessels to ferry radical crossed the stream astatine 1 constituent connected Sunday, blaming a "sharp summation successful the fig of radical wishing to leave".

About 25,000 radical person been evacuated since Tuesday, the Interfax quality bureau said.

Ukraine's subject said it was making gains successful the south, taking implicit astatine slightest 2 villages it said Russia had abandoned.

Russia's defence ministry said connected Sunday its forces had kept up attacks connected Ukraine's vigor and subject infrastructure, destroyed a ample ammunition depot successful the cardinal Cherkasy region, and repelled Ukrainian counter-offensives successful the southbound and east.

Reuters could not independently verify the accounts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the Russian attacks connected vigor infrastructure had struck connected a "very wide" scale.

With the warfare astir to commencement its ninth period and wintertime approaching, the imaginable for freezing misery loomed.

Volodymyr Kudritskiy, caput of Ukraine's nationalist vigor company, Ukrenergo, said powerfulness had been restored to much than 1.5 cardinal customers aft wide play attacks connected vigor targets.

Moscow denies targeting civilians successful what it calls the "special subject operation" successful Ukraine.

Ukraine besides accused Russia of hampering a woody connected grain exports via the Black Sea, saying its ports were moving lone astatine 25% to 30% capacity.

Additional reporting by Jake Cordell and Valentyn Ogirenko successful Mykolaiv; Writing by Clarence Fernandez; Editing by Stephen Coates

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