Russia FLEEING Kherson in their thousands with flag removed – as they’re warned ‘retreat or die’
RUSSIAN troops appear to be fleeing the key Ukrainian city of Kherson in their thousands after being warned to "retreat or die".
A Russian flag was removed from an administrative building while troops have been sent fleeing over the Dnipro river - in a major blow to Putin's already shambolic invasion.
The Russian flag was removed in the occupied city this morning, signalling a retreat by Putin's forces.
The image was shared by a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel with the caption: "I drove up to the building of the former government of the Kherson region; I confirm that there is no [Russian] flag over it."
However, the reporter who shared the image claimed the flags on other nearby buildings still remained.
It came after a chilling warning by a senior European official that the Russian army should "retreat or die".
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They told the Washington Examiner: "They are creating circumstances where Russians have two options: either to retreat or to die because they don't have additional equipment."
Russian authorities in Kherson have been urging its citizens to flee since mid-October but a Russian-appointed official has now said people should "evacuate as quickly as possible" - as troops begin fleeing over the Dnipro river.
The Kremlin-appointed governor of the region Kirill Stremousov said: "Most likely, our troops will leave for the [eastern] bank, and those people who did not manage to get over from Kherson should be evacuated as quickly as possible.''
They claimed that Ukraine were planning an attack on the Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro in a bid to flood the Kherson region.
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Ukraine has fiercely denied the allegations but its forces continue thier lightning counterattack across eastern parts of the country.
Kherson is the only regional capital that Moscow has been able to capture eight months after the start of the invasion.
Despite Putin's claim that it would take less than four weeks for his army to capture Kyiv and claim victory.
Reports of Ukrainian troops loading rockets onto launchers around Kherson have also been reported, signalling another potential battle in the coming days.
According to local reports, Russian forces seem to be weakening, though the Kremlin is reported to have sent more reinforcements to the area.
Airstrikes with cruise missiles and suicide drones are being deployed to the region, targeting powerplants and other infrastructure, it was reported.
Junior Ukrainian Sergeant Oleksandr Veretennik said battles against Putin's army are becoming easier.
Speaking today, he said: "I don't think they are running out of weapons.
"I think they are running out of men. They seem to be rotating in less and less qualified soldiers,''
'LOW MORALE'
Kherson was the first city to fall to Russian forces after the initial invasion of Ukraine in February this year.
The region has come under intense fire from Russian shelling but Putin's troops have been sent running by Ukraine's fightback.
His crumbling army is said to be refusing to fight and disobeying orders amid "extremely low morale," the reports.
And last month, Ukraine's General Staff reported that Russian forces have received orders to stop the offensive in some front-line areas.
The reason behind it is "the extremely low morale and psychological condition of the recruits, numerous facts of desertion, and refusing to obey combat orders.
Russian lines are said to be dramatically collapsing, with a former NATO commander claiming it could be Russia's biggest military disaster for 100 years.
It comes as Russia suffered its deadliest day with nearly a thousand troops being slaughtered on the battlefield in 24 hours, Ukraine claimed.
Kyiv alleges that 950 Russian soldiers were killed on Sunday, marking the highest death toll in a single day since the invasion began eight months ago.
It takes the total number of slaughtered Russian soldiers up to 71,200.
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Ukraine also claimed to have successfully obliterated 52 armoured personnel vehicles, 13 tanks and one cruise missile on Sunday.
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Serhiy Shaptala, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, gloated in a Facebook post: "It was a good 24 hours.
"The occupiers suffered their heaviest losses on the Donetsk and Lyman fronts."
