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No reason to evacuate civilians from Zaporozhye Region, authorities say

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree introducing martial law in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions

MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. There is no reason to evacuate civilians from the Zaporozhye Region because the situation is stable, a regional administration official told TASS on Thursday.

"The introduction of martial law does not make the evacuation of civilians mandatory. The situation in the Zaporozhye Region is stable and calm. There is no reason to evacuate civilians," the official said.

On Tuesday, the Kherson Region’s Acting Governor Vladimir Saldo announced that civilians living on the right bank of the Dnieper River would be evacuated to the left bank due to the risk of flooding in the event that the Ukrainian military attacked the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. He also said that Ukraine had been amassing huge forces near the cities of Nikolayev and Krivoy Rog so efforts to establish major defenses were another reason for the relocation of civilians.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree introducing martial law in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Russia’s Federation Council (the upper house of parliament) upheld the document at a plenary meeting. The president also granted additional powers to regional governments to ensure security.

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