The Russian invaders are hindering civilian evacuation, including that of the children residing in the occupied areas of Kherson region, to the Ukraine-controlled territory, instead planning to bring minors to the occupied Crimea and the Russian Federation. That’s according to Kherson Regional Council Deputy Serhii Khlan, who reported the news at a briefing hosted by the Ukraine Media Center on Wednesday, Ukrinform reports.

“They (invaders – ed.) introduced a system of electronic passes… There were actually difficulties (with the system – ed.) throughout this week. For now, they are issuing these permits, people are starting to leave, albeit in minimal numbers. In fact, the occupiers prevent people from leaving the occupied territory. And at the same time, they offer people to go to Crimea for ‘rehabilitation,’ and, as they note, apparently in order to protect themselves from artillery strikes. That is, they run a kind of propaganda campaign, including targeting school-age children,” Khlan said.

In his opinion, the Russians intend to forcibly deport people in order to keep them hostage.

“They are issuing ‘plans’ to their occupation administrations for the departure of children, parents, and the elderly to Crimea, apparently referring to security issues. But we understand that this is forced deportation in view of the de-occupation of Kherson region,” said the deputy.

He recalled that the same happened in Kharkiv region where the invaders would send children to Russia, failing to return them to their parents after Ukraine recaptured its lands in the area. Now the same scenario is unfolding in the occupied territory of Kherson region, Khlan believes.

As reported, the head of the Kherson regional military administration, Yaroslav Yanushevych, said that last week the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated about 2,500 square kilometers of the territory across Kherson region.