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Russia hits Ukraine homes, evacuates Kherson, warns of escalation

Published 10/23/2022, 10:21 AM
Updated 10/23/2022, 11:17 PM
© Reuters. A boy evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson looks on in a bus heading to Crimea, in the town of Oleshky, Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine October 23, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

© Reuters. A boy evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson looks on in a bus heading to Crimea, in the town of Oleshky, Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine October 23, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

By Jonathan Landay and Pavel Polityuk

MYKOLAIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Under pressure in the south of Ukraine, Russia fired missiles and drones into Ukrainian-held Mykolaiv on Sunday, destroying an apartment block in the ship-building city near the front and said the war was trending towards "uncontrolled escalation".

Mykolaiv lies roughly 35 km (22 miles) northwest of the front line to occupied Kherson, the southern region where Russia has ordered 60,000 people to flee a Ukrainian counter offensive "to save your lives" .

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who some Russian nationalists have blamed for Moscow's setbacks since the Feb. 24 invasion, discussed the "rapidly deteriorating situation" in calls with French, British and Turkish counterparts, the ministry said.

He also spoke by phone with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for the second time in three days. The Pentagon's readout of the call said Austin told Shoigu he "rejected any pretext for Russian escalation."

Without providing evidence, Shoigu said Ukraine could escalate by using a "dirty bomb" - conventional explosives laced with radioactive material. Ukraine does not possess nuclear weapons, while Russia has said it could protect Russian territory with its nuclear arsenal.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba rejected the allegation, calling it "absurd" and "dangerous". He added: "Russians often accuse others of what they plan themselves."

The White House National Security Council also rejected Shoigu's claims. "The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation," a statement from the Council said.

CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

In his nightly video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said only Russia was capable of using nuclear weapons in Europe, and Shoigu's "telephone carousel" made matters clear.

"Everyone understands full well," Zelenskiy said. "They understand who is the source of all the dirty things imaginable in this war."

A Russian missile strike on Sunday wiped out the top floor of an apartment block in Mykolaiv, sending shrapnel and debris across a plaza and into neighbouring buildings, smashing windows and cracking walls. Cars were crushed under rubble, Reuters witnessed. No fatalities were recorded.

"After the first blast, I tried to get out, but the door was stuck. After a minute or two, there was a second loud blast. Our door was blown into the corridor," said Oleksandr Mezinov, 50, who was woken from his bed by the blasts.

Ukraine shot down 14 Russian "kamikaze" drones over Mykolaiv overnight, regional governor Vitaliy Kim said on Telegram. The drones are designed to explode on impact and have hammered Ukraine's energy infrastructure this month.

Ukraine says Russia has used Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack drones. Tehran denies supplying the drones to Moscow - an assertion Washington says is untrue.

Kim said Russia also attacked with S-300 missiles, one of which hit the five-storey apartment building.

INTENSIFYING ATTACKS

Ukraine's advances in recent weeks around Kherson and in the country's northeast have been met with intensifying Russian missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure, which have destroyed about 40% of Ukraine's power system ahead of winter.

Russian troops have withdrawn from parts of the front in recent weeks and occupation authorities are evacuating civilians deeper into Russian-held territory before an expected battle for Kherson, the regional capital on the west bank of the Dnipro river. Kherson is a gateway to Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

"The situation today is difficult. It's vital to save your lives," Russian Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov said in a video message. "It won't be for long. You will definitely return," he added.

Russia-installed authorities there reported a shortage of vessels to ferry people across the river at one point on Sunday, blaming a "sharp increase in the number of people wishing to leave."

Around 25,000 people have been evacuated since Tuesday, the Interfax news agency said.

Ukraine's military said it was making gains in the south, taking over at least two villages it said Russia had abandoned.

Reuters could not independently verify the accounts.

WINTER MISERY LOOMS

Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of planning to blow up the Nova Kakhovka dam, which holds roughly as much water as the Great Salt Lake in the U.S. state of Utah. Breaching it could flood a swathe of southern Ukraine, including Kherson.

Neither side has produced evidence to back up their claims about the dam, which supplies water to Crimea and the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Zelenskiy said the Russian attacks on energy infrastructure had struck on a "very wide" scale.

With the war about to start its ninth month and winter approaching, the potential for freezing misery loomed.

© Reuters. A local man throws debris out of a broken window in a residential building heavily damaged by a Russian missile attack in Mykolaiv, Ukraine October 23, 2022.  REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

More than a million people were without power, presidential adviser Kyrylo Tymoshenko said. A city official said strikes could leave Kyiv without power and heat for days or weeks.

Moscow has acknowledged targeting energy infrastructure but denies targeting civilians in what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Latest comments

Putin's war on innocent civilians continues unabated , the anti christ devil is now threatening dirty bombs! god will deal with him!
The only prize russia is winning is being the most cynical country in the world, that everyone will hate for years to come....Russia has lost all decency, respect and goodwill except in North Korea and the few leaders in countries that depend on Russia to exist.
My mother, a British citizen, worked in counter-intelligence against the Russians in WWII. The British wegre smart enough to know the Russians couldn't be trusted. As an American, I'm ashamed to say that our government is a lot more stupid.
yes, trump declaring putin his "best friend", and his pathetic siding with russia against US intelligence in Helsinki, most likely encouraged putin to think he could attack ukraine without repercussions
Just open up home oil production, close borders, encourage people to compete with diligence when it comes to China rather than becoming jealous & executing childish export controls, help science & philosophy flourish over ideologies, employ some productivity linked money printing methods or some way of employing accountability. So much things to do but the WW2 saviour just wont do it & keep on doing that has been profitable since : Wars.
Russia have been planning this since trump… and you cannot believe anything from them anymore. To say otherwise is when all else is removed is just nuts. Who is restricting all free media? Its not the US…
There is no right or wrong in war. Both side will b loser, only winner is US. Sad case. Pitiful.
Wow wonder if he really means what he writes which would be sad… or if its a bot im thinking bot
he's likely a CCP shill - part of the 50 cent army. China is in bed with Russia.
russia has already lost, what's happening now are desperate sadistic acts of terrorism from the psychopath in chief in Moscow
The Ukraine should just let the Russians take over and then the Russians will die a slow death and just fade away.  This war is a no win situation from the beginning for The Ukraine.  Give Putin his Golden Bridge by allowing him in and then the walls will cave down on him.
"Tehran denies supplying the drones to Moscow - an assertion Washington says is untrue."  --  Lies:  "Russian TV Pundit Admits on Hot Mic Kremlin Lying About Iranian Drones"  www.newsweek.com/russian-tv-pundit-admits-hot-mic-kremlin-lying-about-iranian-drones-1753633
"Russians often accuse others of what they plan themselves."  --  This is true of Trump & most other  deplorable people/countries, too.
Jesus Reuters, your Russian propaganda is really shining today. Congratulations.
URAA!!!!
Okayyyyy Reuters... sure...
What I heard Russian hit Poland
I heard abdullah is gay
From profet alllah
Larry, so you're saying , that Russia is stupid and suicidal....
this is Czechoslovakia and ********again. was ********stupid? maniacal, no doubt.
adolf
POSEIDON will turn new jersey , New York , and many other coastal   areas into a giant waterpark ... but you keep right on threatening Moscow ! LOL
it that happens there will be no more Russia LOL...
children of Moscow officials live in New York. who will push the buttons?
 They can always find a guy with kids in Zamukhransk to do the job.
Russia has no territory in Ukraine therefore they have no "citizens" to evacuate. The subhuman red peril should use a nuke and hang themselves or stop talking lile cowards
Blow moscow up now! Burn the subhuman red menace to ash
Yes!!!!!! Let’s them taste some off there’s leaders medical
Good till the last Ukrainian
Last time I checked the map , the territorry belongd to Ukraine.
This war will last for years that a shame many people getting killedd civilians surprised putin says they don’t hit civilians not terrorr he gets away with it
 Starting a war is a fault of the attacker. Prolonging a war can be a result of actions committed by many parties, and not all of these actions are either prudent or noble.
western world toppled previous iranian government and installed this regime…Now you are shouting for “democracy” again
No, Glen. It's the Iranian people themselves who are shouting.
There are alot of people here supporting putin and that’s terror or not
 Brainwashed folks can be found everywhere. Also, Russia has not been ruined yet.
 An obvious attempt to stay blind to reality. Supporting Russia is not a terror, simple as it is. Also, the war is not genocidal. Both terms are used freely by propaganda and it hurts the world too. It cheapens the terms and it makes folks stupid.
It’s not about brainwashing. You have missed the opportunity to build any ties after collapse of the soviet union, prefer exploiting and exporting inflation to other countries. Now it’s time to pop this bloated with debt house of cards called western world
It looks like terror-supporting threads have been deleted. Good enough.
You are still here are you not?
 I did not start those threads and did not propagate terror-supporting messages. This was done by other folks.
according to Putin, and his published opinions, this war is about creating a new Russian Empire,...it those published opinions he talks about using all means possible to bring a new Russian Empire into being. Ukrainian, just before the war, offered through diplomatic channels, to make promises not to join NATO. hours later Ukraine was invaded..,
Let’s drop a bombb in Kreml say like putin ups we don’t hit civilians
USA destroyed Iraq, Syrya, Afganistan. Why all their allies keep their mouth shut
Putin destroyed Syria
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