KYIV, Ukraine — Less than a month after the Russian forces were driven from the city of Kherson on the west bank of the Dnipro River, the Ukrainian authorities on Saturday issued an urgent call for civilians to evacuate from Russian-occupied areas on the eastern bank, suggesting that Kyiv s military might try to establish a foothold across the waterway.
The evacuation is necessary due to the possible intensification of hostilities in this area, Yaroslav Yanushevych, head of the Kherson regional military administration in the south of Ukraine, said in an announcement to residents.
It was not clear how many people would be able to make it across the river on private boats and other vessels, because all of the main crossings have been destroyed. The public call for evacuations was intended to signal to the Russians that an assault might be coming, though Ukraine has in the past used deception to focus Russian attention in one direction while preparing for an offensive elsewhere.
Ukrainian forces are pushing on into the winter after two sweeping offensives in the northeast and south in the fall. They are again stepping up strikes on Russian supply routes, command centers and ammunition depots from new forward positions.