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Global ResearchFeb 06, 2023
Day 233 Roundup: Russia to Evacuate Citizens from Annexed Kherson Region; Ukraine Strikes Russia's Belgorod Region
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Image copyright: Reuters [via Al Jazeera]
The Facts
Russian deputy prime minister Marat Khusnullin said on Thursday that the country's government would assist residents of the recently annexed Kherson region in southern Ukraine to evacuate "to other regions of the country," after a plea from a Russian-appointed official in the region.
Vladimir Saldo, a former mayor of Kherson city and now Russia's head of the wider region, called on the Russian government to help relocate residents he said were in danger from increased Ukrainian shelling. Saldo's current role means he is wanted for treason by Ukrainian officials.
Meanwhile, Russian officials in the border region of Belgorod, which has frequently come under Ukrainian attack, said Ukrainian missiles struck an ammunition depot in the village of Oktyabrsky, killing and injuring an unspecified number of people. Debris from the activation of missile defenses reportedly fell near a railroad, bringing disruption to local train services.
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
While Ukraine's counteroffensive continues to press on, Russia's decision to evacuate residents from Kherson reveals that Moscow's hold on territories it claims to have annexed is weakening.
Pro-Russia narrative
The decision to help evacuate residents of Kherson is simply about saving lives - the announcement does not mean Russia is planning a mass evacuation from the territory, nor that Russian forces have plans to retreat.
