Ukraine updates: Russia begins 'evacuation' from Kherson

The head of the Russian-occupied region of Kherson in southern Ukraine says pro-Kremlin administrative officials are transporting people away from the regional capital to the left bank of the Dnipro River ahead of an expected offensive by Ukrainian forces. 

"The entire administration is already moving today," Moscow-installed regional head Vladimir Saldo, said on Russian state television. 

Kherson is one of four partially-occupied Ukrainian regions that Russia "annexed" following referendums widely judged as illegal.

Saldo said some 40% of civilians would moved from potential conflict zones as a "precaution."

However, he said Moscow's forces would keep fighting. 

"No one is going to hand over Kherson. But it is not ideal for residents to be in the city where hostilities will take place," Saldo said.

"We're expecting attacks. The Ukrainians are not hiding this. We have enough strength and capability to repel these attacks," he warned. "The city will be completely held, but we need to keep civilians safe."

Saldo earlier announced the civilians would be transported from  four communities near the Dnipro River, citing the risk that Ukrainian shelling could damage a nearby dam.

Some 50,000 to 60,000 people are to be relocated from the Russian-occupied southern region of Kherson, according to the Russian state-run news agency TASS.

DW correspondent Mathias Bölinger said there was a fear in Ukraine that people would be evacuated against their will. 

"The fear here in Ukraine is of course that these may be forced evacuations — deportations of people into Russia — as we have seen in other parts of the occupied territories; that the Russians would forcibly drive people out of there and relocate them to Russia in order to maybe assimilate them later into Russian society. That would be a war crime."

Around 5 million people have left for Russia from the four regions Moscow annexed in violation of international law, Nikolai Patrushev secretary of Russia's National Security Council claimed.

In a separate statement, Russia's Defense Ministry asserted that 4.6 million Ukrainians have arrived in the country since the start of the war.  

Here are the other main headlines from the war in Ukraine on October 19.

Putin bringing the war home to ordinary Russians, investigative journalist tells DW

Investigative journalist and writer Catherine Belton, who works for The Washington Post and is the author of the 2020 book Putin's People, told DW that Putin was becoming increasingly vulnerable in Russia due to the Ukrainian counteroffensive. 

She explained her concern that the forced removal of citizens in Kherson could be used for a "misinformation campaign." However, if Ukraine successfully took control of Kherson, this would signify a big loss for Putin. Asked about Putin's strategic options, the journalist highlighted that the Russian president had "been backed into forcing the mobilization of his own people."

"He'd always promised that he was never going to have to do that. It's a deeply unpopular step, which really undermines the foundations of his own presidency. His legitimacy as president is based on his popularity," she continued. 

But not only Putin's strategy options were becoming slimmer, his popularity among Russians at home was decreasing, too, Belton claimed: "There was a recent opinion poll by the Kremlin linked Public Opinion Foundation, which found that 70% of Russians are now very, very anxious about what's going on. He's really bringing the situation home to ordinary Russians. So I think his position is much more precarious than it's ever been in his entire presidency." 

Belton went on to say that his standing within the elites had been affected. "We're seeing divisions emerge within the elite around him." 

"They're seeing Putin lose territory. And that's not just a loss to his popularity. It's kind of a loss to his standing within the elite. And suddenly he is becoming fair game," she added.

Ukraine to impose nationwide electricity restrictions

Authorities in Ukraine will impose restrictions on the use of electricity starting on Thursday, as continued Russian strikes over the past several days have crippled energy infrastructure. 

Large parts of Ukraine have been hit with electricity and water outages.

"Today the enemy again destroyed energy generating facilities...it is necessary to minimize the use of electricity," said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the president's office.

"Everyone should be ready, first, to save electricity, and second, rolling power blackouts are also possible if strikes continue," Tymoshenko said.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 30% of Ukraine's power stations have been destroyed.

Missile strike hits major power plant in western Ukraine

A thermal power station in the city of Burshtyn in western Ukraine was hit in a Russian attack on Wednesday, according to the Ivano-Frankivsk region governor Svitlana Onyshchuk.

She said no one was hurt in the strike that caused a fire at the plant but gave no further details of the damage.

Wednesday's salvo hit the Burshtyn plant that supplies electricity to three western regions and 5 million consumers.

IAEA's Grossi tells DW risk of accident is 'quite high' at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi told DW in an interview that the situation around the plant was "really dangerous," and "precarious."

His team has been working for weeks to establish a protection zone in the area, he said, but has not been successful yet.

Grossi said that they were still negotiating the zone, but that "both sides have agreed to work with me, so I hope we will be able to make progress pretty soon."

He said that a comparison with Chernobyl was not appropriate, because the technology was very different and because " it's a much bigger plant" with constant risks to its power supply.

Asked whether Putin may use nuclear weapons amid a series of military setbacks, Grossi replied: "I don't have any indication that would be the case."

Putin declares martial law in occupied regions 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has introduced martial law in the occupied regions of Ukraine that Moscow claims to have annexed.  

The Kremlin published a decree saying martial law would be introduced from early Thursday in the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. 

"I signed a decree to introduce martial law in these four subjects of the Russian Federation," Putin said in a televised National Security Council meeting.  

Putin didn't initially spell out the measures that would be taken under martial law in the regions.

Israel offers Ukraine help with air-attack alerts but not weapons

Israel has offered to help Ukrainians develop air attack alerts for civilians, but was adamant it would stop short of sending weapons or its vaunted Iron Dome missile defense system to Kyiv.

"Maybe we can support them with an early warning systems that will allow them to alert the right population in a more accurate manner, which will then allow them to have some kind of long perspective emergency routine," Defense Minister Benny Gantz said.

After a barrage of strikes on Ukrainian cities this week the country's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he would ask Israel for immediate air defense supplies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also in the past hit out at Israel for not providing Kyiv with weapon systems.

Though it has condemned the Russian invasion, Israel said it wanted to continue cooperation with Moscow over war-ravaged neighbor Syria.

"The policy towards Ukraine will not change. We will continue to support it and stand by the West. We will not supply weapons," Gantz said in Tel Aviv, during a meeting with the ambassadors of the European Union.

Russians 'scared' as reality of war hits home, says dissident journalist 

Russian news editor and presenter of TV Rain, Ekaterina Kotrikadze, said in an interview with DW that Russians were becoming increasingly concerned about the war in Ukraine.

TV Rain was one of the last Kremlin-critical news networks in Russia before being shut down. Kotrikadze now works from abroad.

She was asked about how Putin declaring martial law in Ukraine affects the Russian public's perception of the war.

"This is something that brings us very close to the moment when the president of the Russian Federation and his employees, including their representatives of the Russian government, would be forced to name this situation a war. Because, so far, they were insisting on the so-called "special military operation," not acknowledging and not telling Russians that this is actually a war going on – not only in Ukraine but also on the parts of Russian Federation."

Kotrikadze said areas of Russia in the Belgorod region on the Ukrainian border are at risk of shelling.  

She added "people are scared to death in Russia" after the so-called partial mobilization and after decreeing martial law in Ukraine.

The war is "getting closer and closer to Russians," she said.

"People now are acknowledging they are understanding that this war is coming to their homes," she said.

Kotrikadze added Putin has a tough choice to make on how to continue with "his mobilization, this martial law, all the problems that Russian regions, Russian regions are going through right now."

People of Ukraine win EU rights award

European lawmakers have awarded the Sakharov Prize For Freedom of Thought to the Ukrainian people.

"This award is for those Ukrainians fighting on the ground, for those who have been forced to flee, for those who have lost relatives and friends, for all those who stand up and fight for who and what they believe in," said European Parliament president Roberta Metsola.

The award comes with prize money of €50,000 ($49,100), which the EU said would be distributed to representatives of Ukrainian civil society.

German President postpones Ukraine trip

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called off a planned visit to Kyiv for security reasons, according to his office. Steinmeier was due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday.

His office said security authorities in Germany and the Foreign Ministry had advised Steinmeier not to go. However, the visit is expected to be rescheduled soon.

EU draws up sanctions on Iran over Russia drones 

European Union member state governments have provisionally agreed sanctions against eight people and entities over the use of Iranian-made unmanned aircraft in Russian strikes on Ukraine, according to diplomatic sources. 

Sanctions experts from the 27 EU members agreed to the list in a meeting on Wednesday. 

"Now that we have gathered our own sufficient evidence work is ongoing in the [European] Council in view of a clear, swift and firm EU response," said Nabila Massrali, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. 

One diplomat said the list would likely be completed in time for a meeting of European leaders, to start late on Thursday. 

Ukraine urged sanctions against Iran on Monday, haiving accused Tehran for weeks of supplying Russia with Shahed-136 drones. 

EU chief says infrastructure strikes are 'war crimes'

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has called Russian strikes targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine "war crimes." 

Von der Leyen told members of the European Parliament the attacks had the clear aim of depriving people of electricity and water in the winter months.  

"Yesterday we saw again Russia's targeted attacks against civilian infrastructure, and this is marking a new chapter in an already very cruel war," von der Leyen told members of the parliament in Strasbourg. 

The president of the European Commission also reiterated the European Union's support for Ukraine "for as long as it takes." 

Russia on Monday launched dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles on Ukraine that hit infrastructure, killing five people in the capital Kyiv. 

Ukraine says the kamikaze drones are Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack craft that cruise towards their target before dropping at velocity and detonating on impact. Missiles have also been used to damage Ukraine's critical infrastructure in the past nine days.

Moscow has focused particularly on attacking Ukraine's infrastructure grid, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying some 30% of the country's power plants have been destroyed.

Drones show Moscow is 'militarily bankrupt'

Russia's dependence on Iranian-made drones to attack Ukrainian targets exposes Moscow as "bankrupt" both politically and militarily, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.

Using Iranian weaponry amounted to an acknowledgment of failure by the Kremlin, he added.

"For decades, they spent billions of dollars on their own military-industrial complex. And in the end, they bowed down to Tehran in order to secure quite simple drones and missiles," Zelenskyy said in a nightly video address.

Ukraine says Russia's latest attacks on infrastructure have relied on the Iranian-made drones. Iran denies supplying unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia.

In his address, Zelenskyy also thanked everyone who helps Ukraine with anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense. According to the president, the German "IRIS-T" has shown itself as "a really effective system."

"We are working with partners to provide even more protection to the Ukrainian sky," Zelenskyy added.

Russian commander admits situation for his troops is 'tense'

The new Russian military commander for Ukraine operations said that Russia's army is preparing to evacuate civilians from the Kherson region.

"The Russian army will above all ensure the safe evacuation of the population" of Kherson, General Sergey Surovikin told Russian state television,

Surovikin, who has been in the job for the past 10 days, added the combat situation there was "very tense."

"The enemy is not abandoning its attempts to attack Russian troop positions," he added, in a rare admission of the pressures being felt by his forces.

Germany sends further military support to Ukraine

The government revealed on Tuesday that it had supplied Ukraine with five more armored recovery vehicles. That doubles the total amount sent by Germany.

Berlin also delivered seven bridge systems to enable the crossing of rivers. 

As well as more ammunition, Germany has also sent winter clothing, power generators and first aid kits.

US and allies to raise Iranian drone transfers to Russia at UN

The United States, Britain and France plan to raise alleged Iranian arms transfers to Russia at a closed-door UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday, diplomats said, after Ukraine said Russia's having obtained drones violated a Council resolution.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the diplomats said the three - which also believe such transfers violate UN Security Council Resolution 2231 - told their Council counterparts they would ask a UN official to brief members on the issue.

Russia launched dozens of "kamikaze" drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on Ukraine on Monday, hitting energy infrastructure and killing five people in the capital Kyiv. Ukraine says they are Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack drones.

More from DW's coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Suicide drones are said to have been used to attack the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Tehran has denied supplying Moscow with the equipment. What do we know about drone imports?

After the rockets comes the propaganda — pro-Russian voices have claimed that wounded people in Kyiv were just actors staging their suffering. But a DW fact check shows that the victims are real.

lo,rc,dh,es/rt,rs,wmr (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)