Ukraine begins evacuation of civilians from Kherson and Mykolaiv regions ahead of winter

Ukraine has suffered its “biggest attack” yet by Russian forces, leaving the entire nation without vital infastructure.

An attack by Russian forces on Ukraine’s power grid caused “colossal” damage, leaving no thermal or hydroelectric power plant in the country intact, according to the head of the government-owned electricity transmission system operator.

“This was the biggest attack, the biggest in history. Over 100 heavy missiles were launched. Their targets were Ukrainian energy system facilities, mainly, Ukrenergo substations and Ukrainian thermal power stations producing energy for Ukrainian consumers,” Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, CEO of Ukrenergo, said on Tuesday.

“To understand the scale of these attacks, what we’re dealing with, almost all thermal and power generation from large power plants suffered damage from missile strikes. There are almost no Ukrenergo hub substations that are intact. Practically every key substation has been hit at least once, and some three, five or eight times.”

Workers repair infrastructure in a power plant that was damaged by a Russian air attack in October, on November 04, 2022 in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. Picture: Ed Ram/Getty Images.

UKRAINE STARTS EVACUATIONS FROM KHERSON

Voluntary evacuation have begun in areas of Ukraine liberated from the Russians where millions of lives are at risk this winter following severe damage to vital infrastructure.

Moscow has been targeting energy infrastructure, launching missile strikes that have left homes across the country without electricity as temperatures plunge.

Residents of the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, which were shelled regularly by Russian forces in the past months, have been advised to move to safer areas in the central and western parts of the country.

A boy climbs into a bunk bed after boarding an evacuation train. Picture: Getty Images.

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, said the government would provide transportation, accommodation and medical care.

WHO regional director for Europe Hans Kluge told reporters that the damage is having “knock-out effects” on Ukraine’s health system.

People prepare to board an evacuation train after their names were called out from a passenger list. Picture: Getty Images.

He said up to three million Ukrainians could leave their homes in search of warmth and safety.

“This winter will be about survival,” he said.

“They will face unique health challenges, including respiratory infections such as Covid-19, pneumonia, influenza, and the serious risk of diphtheria and measles in (an) under-vaccinated population.”

A resident boards an evacuation train in Kherson, Ukraine. Picture: Getty Images.

MORE ‘TORTURE CHAMBERS’ FOUND IN KHERSON

Ukraine said it had discovered four Russian torture sites in the southern city of Kherson, which Moscow’s forces pulled out of earlier this month leaving behind a trail of misery and destruction.

The remains of rubber truncheons, a wooden bat and “a device with which the occupiers tortured civilians with electricity” were found

The evacuations also come just over a week after Ukraine retook the city of Kherson – which remains close to the frontline – and areas around it.

More people prepare to board an evacuation train in Kherson, Ukraine. Picture: Getty Images.

Ukrainian officials claim to have discovered four Russian torture sites in the southern city of Kherson, which Moscow’s forces retreated from this month leaving behind a trail of destruction.

The Kremlin meanwhile vowed to track down and punish those it said were responsible for the “brutal” murder of nearly a dozen Russian servicemen who were allegedly surrendering to Kyiv.

Russian defence officials made the “difficult” decision earlier this month to retreat from Kherson city, the only regional capital Moscow’s forces had won after nearly nine months of fighting in Ukraine.

A Ukrainian rescue service member and a soldier inspect the area as black smoke rises from an oil reserve in Kherson. Picture: AFP.

Kyiv accused the withdrawing forces of rendering useless key infrastructure including water and electricity stations in Kherson, whose loss is a strategic and symbolic blow for the Kremlin.

But on Monday, Kyiv also said Moscow had run a network of torture sites in the city, building on claims that Russian authorities had perpetrated abuses on a “horrific” scale there.

“Together with police officers and experts, (prosecutors) conducted inspections of four premises where, during the capture of the city, the occupiers illegally detained people and brutally tortured them,” the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said in a statement.

Russian forces had also set-up “pseudo-law enforcement agencies” at detention centres in Kherson as well as in a police station, prosecutors said in a statement.

‘HORRIFIC’ TORTURE

The remains of rubber truncheons, a wooden bat and “a device with which the occupiers tortured civilians with electricity” were found, prosecutors statement said.

Russian authorities also left behind paperwork documenting the administration of the detention sites, its office added.

The allegations are just the latest from Kyiv against Russian troops, who have been accused of running similar abuse operations in places like Izyium in east Ukraine and near Kyiv.

In both those places, Russian troops were forced back by Ukrainian counter-attacks and the recent recapture of Kherson is just the latest in a string of bruising defeats for Moscow.

Ukrainian soldiers stand in front of a destroyed building of the International Airport of Kherson in the village of Chornobaivka, outskirts of Kherson. Picture: AFP.

Last week Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubynets said Russian forces were responsible for “horrific” torture in Kherson, saying dozens were abused in detention and more were killed.

And AFP spoke last week to a Kherson resident who said he spent weeks in detention where he was beaten and electrocuted by Russian and pro-Russian forces.

But the Kremlin has also come forward recently with allegations of abuses perpetrated by Ukrainian troops, and on Monday vowed to hold responsible people they accused of killing Russian troops trying to surrender.

“Without a doubt, Russia will itself search for those who committed this crime. They must be found and punished,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He was referring to video footage that began circulating on social media last week and which Moscow claims is compelling evidence that Kyiv’s troops murdered nearly a dozen Russian soldiers in east Ukraine.

The Russian defence ministry said last week that the videos showed the “deliberate and methodical” killing of over 10 servicemen.

Ukraine has denied that its forces had killed prisoners of war, saying the soldiers were shot following a false surrender.

The UN said last week it had been made aware of the videos and was looking into them. A report it released earlier last week said there were credible allegations of abuses committed by both sides.

Russia’s Human Rights Council said the alleged executions took place in Makiivka, a village in the eastern Lugansk region, which the Ukrainian army said it had recaptured last week.

– with AFP