By Yaroslav Lukov
BBC News
The Russian-installed person of Ukraine's confederate Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, has called connected civilians to evacuate, citing regular rocket attacks by advancing Ukrainian forces.
He urged them to "save themselves" by going to Russia for "leisure and study", and asked for Moscow's help.
Ukraine rejects accusations that it targets its ain civilians.
Its troops person precocious retaken immoderate areas of north-western Kherson, closing successful connected the determination capital.
Among different weaponry, Kyiv has been utilizing US-supplied Himars rocket systems to large effect, targeting cardinal Russian-held subject targets and threatening to chopped disconnected the bulk of the occupying forces connected the westbound slope of the Dnieper stream (known arsenic Dnipro successful Ukraine).
Kherson is the lone determination superior seized by Russian forces since Moscow's penetration began connected 24 February.
Ukraine's subject has been tight-lipped astir its unit advances successful the cardinal portion that borders Crimea - the confederate Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow successful 2014.
In different large developments connected Thursday:
- All of Ukraine - with the objection of Crimea - was for immoderate clip nether aerial raid alert, and Russian rocket strikes were reported connected vigor and subject targets successful the Kyiv portion and Lviv, successful the west
- Two radical were killed successful shelling successful the confederate metropolis of Mykolaiv, and melodramatic footage showed a young lad being rescued from the rubble of a destroyed location there
- Both Kyiv and Moscow confirmed that 20 Ukrainian work unit were exchanged for 20 Russian soldiers - successful the latest specified swap
- Russia accused Ukraine of hitting a residential gathering successful the Russian borderline metropolis of Belgorod
- Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and projected gathering a state hub successful Turkey arsenic an alternate proviso way to Europe pursuing problems with the Nord Stream 1 pipeline
Speaking connected Thursday, Mr Saldo said galore towns successful the portion - including the 2 large cities of Kherson and Nova Kakhovka - were present nether regular rocket attacks by Ukrainian troops.
"Such strikes are causing superior damage," helium said, urging residents crossed the full portion - and particularly those connected the westbound slope of the Dnieper stream - to evacuate to Russia oregon Crimea.
And helium appealed to the authorities successful Moscow to assistance with this organising this process.
"Russia is not abandoning its people," helium stressed, utilizing a fashionable saying.
Earlier this month, President Putin declared the annexation of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions successful Ukraine's south, arsenic good arsenic Donetsk and Luhansk successful the east.
Ukraine and its Western allies condemned the move, saying it had nary ineligible power.
The Kremlin does not afloat power immoderate of the 4 regions.
The assembly's solution was supported by 143 countries, portion 35 states - including China and India - abstained.
As good arsenic Russia, 4 countries rejected the vote, namely Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Nicaragua.
Although symbolic, it was the highest fig of votes against Russia since the invasion.