Russia claims 12,000 residents ‘evacuated’ from Zaporizhzhia region, promises to ‘evacuate’ 50,000 more

Radio Liberty’s Krym.Realii project reported the information.

They also reported that in case of intensification of fighting in the Zaporizhzhia area, "they are ready to take local residents to Crimea and Rostov region, there are reserves of transport for this."

Earlier, the Russian-appointed "deputy prime minister" of the occupied part of the region for economy, Andrey Kozenko, said in a comment to TASS that they plan to "move" about 70,000 people in total as part of the "evacuation" announced by the occupation authorities of the Zaporizhzhia region.

Representatives of the Ukrainian authorities in the region say that a significant number of the "evacuees" have returned to their homes. Upon their return, they say that a large number of Russian military vehicles were moving along with the repatriate buses, which means they were used as human shields.

• Earlier, the media reported that Russia had stopped funding the occupation administration in the Zaporizhzhia region.