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Kherson evacuation and Mykolaiv strike, 13 October 2022
Summary
A look back at a day when Russia announced civilian evacuations from Kherson and missiles hit Mykolaiv, amid a week of air defence pledges and infrastructure strikes.
What did Russia mean when it announced, on 13 October 2022, that it would evacuate civilians from Kherson? The announcement said residents would be moved to "other regions of the country", and it followed an appeal from Volodymyr Saldo, leader of the Kherson Military-Civilian Administration. It came as Ukraine's southern counteroffensive was under way.
A night of missiles in Mykolaiv
The same day, Russian forces launched eight missiles at Mykolaiv, and one hit a five-storey residential building. Among the victims was an 11-year-old boy. Rescuers pulled him out with broken legs after he had spent hours under the rubble. He later died in hospital of heart failure.
The strike fitted a pattern from the preceding days. On 12 October 2022, Russian forces struck a marketplace in Avdiivka, in Donetsk Oblast, killing at least seven civilians and injuring eight others.
Pressure on the power grid
The days before 13 October were also marked by damage to energy infrastructure. On 11 October, a Russian missile strike on what was described as critical infrastructure caused a major power outage in Lviv. A day later, Moldova urged its citizens to cut their electricity use after Ukraine suspended electricity exports because Russian missile attacks had damaged critical infrastructure.
Air defence on the way
Ukraine's partners signalled new help in those same days. On 12 October, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence said it would donate AMRAAM air-to-air missiles in the coming weeks. The missiles can intercept cruise missiles. The UK also pledged a further 18 howitzers. French President Emmanuel Macron said France would send radar and air defence systems to Ukraine in the coming weeks. Canada said it would provide C$47 million in new military aid, including artillery rounds, winter clothing, drone cameras and satellite communications.
Diplomacy and a northern warning
On 12 October, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution condemning Russia's attempted illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory. Only Belarus, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia and Syria voted against it.
The security picture to the north also drew attention. On 11 October, thousands of Russian troops were reported entering Belarus by the trainload. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned G7 nations that Russia was planning another offensive against Kyiv, with direct Belarusian involvement. The troop movements came a day after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko accused Ukraine of planning an attack on his country.
Other developments
On 12 October, Russia said it had arrested eight people over the Crimean Bridge explosion: five Russians and three people from Ukraine and Armenia. On 11 October, Russia added Meta Platforms, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, to its list of "terrorists and extremists", citing tolerance of Russophobia and calls to violence against Russians.
Taken together, 13 October 2022 sat between a week of strikes on civilians and infrastructure, pledges of air defence from Western partners, and a Russian announcement about Kherson's civilians.
