Following Kherson, the pro-Russian authorities may announce an evacuation in the Zaporozhye region

The occupying authorities of the Zaporozhye region did not rule out the announcement of an evacuation in the region. Evgeny Balitsky, appointed by the Kremlin as interim governor, said that the removal of residents would be organized in case of danger.

At the same time, he assures that at the moment there is no such need. “We are not considering evacuation. If there are shelling on the front line and this will be associated with an increased threat to people’s lives, then perhaps such measures will be taken, ”said Balitsky (quoted by TASS).

However, the residents are not going to be taken out to the regions of Russia or the annexed Crimea, as was the case with Kherson residents initially, but to other regions of Zaporozhye. Balitsky stressed that other evacuation “is not envisaged.”

In October, the occupying authorities of the Kherson region decided to begin the removal of the population from the region, explaining this by “increased shelling and terrorist attacks.” At first, residents were offered to leave for Russia voluntarily – “for rest and recovery”, but against the backdrop of the rapid advance of Ukrainian forces, the evacuation became forced, and people began to be sent to the left bank of the Dnieper.

On November 11, a member of the main council of the pro-Russian administration of the Zaporozhye region, Vladimir Rogov, said that a large number of mercenaries had accumulated in the Zaporozhye direction, including over five thousand from Poland. On November 9, he also claimed that Ukraine had deployed 7,000 troops here. According to him, all the soldiers were trained at the “Western training grounds.”

On November 6, Rogov announced the threat of an offensive by the Ukrainian army, as well as the decision to create fortified areas and strengthen the defense line in the north. At the end of October, he said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine were going to attack Vasilyevka east of Energodar on the left bank of the Dnieper and Pologi, a city 100 km north of Berdyansk.

The Kremlin still considers the Kherson region and the Zaporozhye region to be regions of Russia, although Kherson was surrendered on November 9, and the Russian army was unable to capture Zaporozhye. According to presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, the recent retreat does not affect the status of the first region: “This is a subject of the Russian Federation, its status is fixed by law, and there can be no changes here.”