“Now, of course, those living in Kherson should be removed from the zone of the most dangerous actions, because the civilian population should not suffer,” Putin told pro-Kremlin activists as he marked Russia’s National Unity Day. Moscow has already evacuated people from an area it controls in Kherson, on the west bank of the Dnipro river, and this week announced that the evacuation zone would also include a 15km neutral zone on the east bank. But the comments appear to be the first time Putin has personally approved the evacuations. Russia says it has moved residents to safety from the path of a Ukrainian advance. Kyiv says the measures include forced expulsions of civilians from Russian-held territory, a war crime that Russia denies. Kherson is one of four Ukrainian provinces that Putin claimed to have annexed in late September after referendums condemned by the West. Ukrainian forces have been advancing in recent weeks on the only Russian-controlled enclave on the west bank of the Dnipro, a strategically vital base that Moscow had reinforced with thousands of troops. Current10:30A Fifth Estate investigation into alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine Alex Shprintsen tells us about an investigation by CBC’s The Fifth Estate that looked into alleged war crimes in Andriivka, a suburb in Ukraine — and linked them to a Russian soldier’s confession. On Thursday, Vladimir Stremusov, deputy head of the Russian occupation administration in Kherson, said Russia was likely to withdraw its troops from the west bank of the river. In later statements, Stremusov was more ambiguous, saying he hoped there would be no retreat but “we have to make some very difficult decisions.” Kyiv was wary, saying signs of a Russian withdrawal could be a ruse to lure its troops into a trap. A day after Stremusov’s remarks, there was silence from senior officials in Moscow on the prospect of a military retreat.

The flag of Russia is missing

Speculation swirled about whether Russia was withdrawing after photos surfaced online Thursday showing the central administrative building in the city of Kherson with the Russian flag no longer flying over it. The regional capital, which sits on the west bank at the mouth of the Dnipro, is the only major city Russia has captured intact since its invasion in February. His loss to the Russian forces would be one of the most serious blows of the war. Police officers inspect damaged apartment buildings after Russian shelling in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday. (Andry Andriyenko/The Associated Press) The surrounding province controls access to Russian-held Crimea, and its security has been one of the few successes of an otherwise disastrous Russian campaign. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he “definitely” believed Ukrainian forces could retake Russian-held territory in the West Bank, in perhaps his most optimistic comments yet on the counteroffensive. “More importantly, the Ukrainians believe they have the ability to do it. We’ve seen them engage in a very methodical but effective effort to take back their sovereign territory.”

G7 plans how to help rebuild Ukraine

Meanwhile, top diplomats from G7 countries agreed on the need for a coordination mechanism to help Ukraine repair and defend its critical energy and infrastructure from Russian attacks, a senior State Department official said Friday. The G7 countries gathered in the western German city of Muenster this week with Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine, Iran’s deepening military alignment with Moscow for war and China’s growing assertiveness high on the agenda. A Ukrainian soldier arranges a dugout at a frontline position amid Russia’s offensive on Ukraine, in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region on Friday. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters) The countries also discussed the state of the battlefield to figure out what weapons to give Kyiv, though this time they focused more on aid that would allow Ukraine to defend itself against escalating Russian attacks on its energy and water infrastructure, speaking under the condition of anonymity, he said. “They discussed the needs facing Ukraine as it approaches winter and agreed that there needed to be a G7 coordination mechanism to help Ukraine repair, restore and defend its critical energy and water infrastructure,” the official told reporters. . Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba participated virtually in the G7 discussion. In recent weeks, Russia has launched waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Kyiv says up to 40 percent of its power system has been destroyed, and Ukrainian authorities have warned that residents could face hours of blackouts due to limited supplies. Moscow has acknowledged targeting energy infrastructure but denies targeting civilians in what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine to root out dangerous nationalists and protect Russian-speakers.