RIA-Putin Calls For Evacuation Of Annexed Kherson

Wires reporting comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the conflict in Ukraine. Reuters reports that Putin has stated that, 'civilians in the Ukrainian region of Kherson which Russia declared it had annexed in September must be evacuated from the conflict zone' according to state-run RIA.

• Putin: "Now, of course, those who live in Kherson should be removed from the zone of the most dangerous actions, because the civilian population should not suffer'.
• Comes as Ukrainian forces are expected to make an assault on the city of Kherson in the south of the country. Reports of Russian troops and officers fleeing their posts, although there have been warnings from Kyiv that this could be a trap laid by Russian forces.
• Kherson seen as the gateway to Crimea. Any assault from Ukraine on the region annexed in 2014 would risk a major escalation in violence from Russia.
• State-run Interfax also reported that Putin said that Russia had mobilised 318,000 people into its armed forces as part of the 'partial mobilisation'.