People attend an event marking the declared annexation of the Russian-controlled territories of four Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, after holding what Russian authorities called referendums in the occupied areas that were condemned by Kyiv and governments worldwide, in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, September 30, 2022. (File photo: Reuters)

Russian authorities have promised free accommodation to all residents of the occupied Kherson region who choose to evacuate to Russia.
Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin made the announcement Thursday shortly after the Russia-backed leader of Kherson asked the Kremlin to organize evacuation from four cities, citing the danger from missile strikes.
Vladimir Saldo said "these missile strikes cause serious damage, first and foremost to the residents and that missiles also hit "hotels, residential buildings, markets, (places) where there are lots of civilians."
Saldo said a decision has been made to evacuate residents of Kherson, Nova Kakhovka, Hola Prystan and Chornobaivkato to the Russian regions of Rostov, Krasnodar and Stavropol, as well as to annexed Crimea.
The plea comes as Ukrainian forces are pushing their counteroffensive deeper into the southern region, one of four that Russia recently annexed illegally.
In a separate statement, Saldo's deputy Kirill Stremousov tried to play down the announced evacuation, saying that "no one's retreating ... no one is planning to leave the territory."
The British military said Thursday on Twitter that Russia-backed Kherson authorities have ordered the evacuation because they anticipate combat to extend to the city of Kherson.