Russia Presses Evacuation of Kherson as Ukrainian Offensive Looms

Russia stepped up the

evacuation of civilian institutions from the occupied Ukrainian city of Kherson, where looting has become widespread and squatters have taken over the abandoned government headquarters, as Ukraine received sophisticated Western air-defense systems that could help it protect its cities.

Moscow’s decision to mobilize 300,000 reservists has allowed Russian forces, for now, to stabilize the front line in most areas, halting the Ukrainian offensives that reclaimed large parts of the Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kherson regions in September and October.