Russia's Putin declares martial law in seized Ukrainian regions - Reuters.com

KYIV/MIKOLAIV, Ukraine, Oct 19 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin introduced martial instrumentality connected Wednesday successful 4 Ukrainian regions helium says are portion of Russia arsenic immoderate residents of the Russian-held metropolis of Kherson near by vessel aft Moscow warned of a looming assault.

The images of radical fleeing Kherson were broadcast by Russian authorities TV which portrayed the exodus - from the close slope of the Rover Dnipro to its near slope - arsenic an effort to wide the metropolis of civilians earlier it became a combat zone.

Kirill Stremousov, lawman caput of the section Russia-backed administration, made a video entreaty aft Russian forces successful the country were driven backmost by 20-30 km (13-20 miles) successful the past fewer weeks. They hazard being pinned against the occidental slope of the 2,200-km (1367 miles) -long Dnipro stream that bisects Ukraine.

In a determination which looked designed to assistance Russia steadfast its grip connected 4 Ukrainian regions it partially occupies and seeks to afloat power - including the Kherson portion - Putin told his Security Council helium was introducing martial instrumentality successful them.

Beyond overmuch tighter information measures connected the ground, it was unclear what the contiguous interaction of that would be.

Putin besides issued a decree restricting question successful and retired of 8 regions adjoining Ukraine.

Andriy Yermak, the caput of the Ukrainian president's office, accused Russia of laying connected a propaganda amusement successful Kherson.

"The Russians are trying to scare the radical of Kherson with fake newsletters astir the shelling of the metropolis by our army, and besides put a propaganda amusement with evacuation," Yermak wrote connected the Telegram messaging app.

Eight months aft being invaded, Ukraine is prosecuting large counter-offensives successful the eastbound and southbound to effort to instrumentality arsenic overmuch territory arsenic it tin earlier wintertime aft routing Russian forces successful immoderate areas.

Kherson is the biggest colonisation centre Moscow has seized and held since it began its "special subject operation" successful Ukraine connected Feb. 24. The metropolis is connected territory which President Vladimir Putin says is present formally incorporated into Russia, a determination Ukraine and the West bash not recognise.

The struggle has killed thousands, displaced millions, pulverised Ukrainian cities, shaken the planetary system and revived Cold War-era geopolitical fissures.

Ukrainian cities person besides been struck successful caller days by drones and missiles, and Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv's mayor, said the capital's aerial defences were successful enactment erstwhile again connected Wednesday.

In Kherson, Stremousov said the metropolis and particularly its close slope could beryllium shelled by Ukrainian forces, adding that residents who near would beryllium fixed accommodation wrong Russia.

"I inquire you to instrumentality my words earnestly and to construe them arsenic a telephone to evacuate arsenic accelerated arsenic you perchance can," helium said.

"We bash not program to surrender the city, we volition basal until the past moment."

OFFENSIVE EXPECTED

The Russian-installed main of Kherson region, Stremousov's boss, said astir 50,000-60,000 radical would beryllium evacuated successful the adjacent six days. The metropolis of Kherson had a pre-war colonisation of astir 280,000 radical but galore of them person since fled.

"The Ukrainian broadside is gathering up forces for a large-scale offensive," said Vladimir Saldo, the official, told authorities TV. "Where the subject operates, determination is nary spot for civilians."

Saldo, who said Russia had the resources to clasp Kherson and adjacent antagonistic onslaught if necessary, besides said helium was banning civilians from entering the portion for 7 days.

Staff astatine Kherson's Russian-backed medication were besides being relocated to the near slope of the Dnipro, helium said.

The evacuation calls followed a gloomy appraisal of Russia's prospects successful the country from General Sergei Surovikin, the caller commandant of Russian forces successful Ukraine.

"The concern successful the country of the 'Special Military Operation' can beryllium described arsenic tense," Surovikin told state-owned Rossiya 24 quality channel. "The concern successful this country (Kherson) is difficult. The force is deliberately striking infrastructure and residential buildings."

Vladimir Rogov, a subordinate of the Russian-installed assembly governing Zaporizhzhia, different portion successful the south, said Ukraine's forces had intensified overnight shelling of Russian-held Enerhodar. Many employees of the Zaporizhzhia atomic presumption unrecorded there.

Artillery occurrence had deed the town's outskirts and determination had been 10 strikes astir a thermal powerfulness station, helium said connected the Telegram messaging app connected Wednesday.

Dmytro Orlov, whom Ukraine recognises arsenic politician of Enerhodar, blamed Russia for the shelling.

"The shelling, archetypal of the concern zone, and past of the metropolis itself, began astir midnight and it did not halt successful the morning," helium posted connected Telegram.

International Atomic Energy Agency main Rafael Grossi said helium expected to instrumentality soon to Ukraine amid negotiations to found a extortion portion astir the Zaporizhzhia facility, Europe's largest atomic powerfulness station.

The works is successful 1 of 4 Ukrainian regions Russia has proclaimed arsenic annexed but lone partially occupies. The different 3 are Kherson, and the eastbound borderline provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk - unneurotic known arsenic Donbas.

Putin declared them regions of Russia aft staging what Moscow called referendums successful September, which Kyiv and Western governments denounced arsenic amerciable and coercive.

Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Himani Sarkar and Andrew Osborn; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.