Kiev invalidates permits for 6 journalists over Kherson reporting

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Nov 2022 10:53

Other Ukrainian broadcasters and journalists were not invalidated despite the ban.

Ukrainian artillery unit members get prepared to fire towards Kherson on October 28, 2022, outside of Kherson region. (AFP)

Ukrainian authorities have revoked the accreditation of at least 6 journalists - including for CNN and Sky News - for reporting on Kherson, according to Ukrainian news outlet Detector Media, citing sources.

Soon after announcing the war in Ukraine, Russia established control over Kherson.

In October, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye became Russian republics by popular referendum.

However, last week, Russia's Defense Ministry announced the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and equipment from the right bank of the Dnipro River, Kherson, as Moscow noted that there will be a need to build defenses on the left bank. Soon after, Ukrainian forces entered Kherson.

On Sunday, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said that a number of foreign media representatives had their work permits revoked and press cards invalidated for covering news on Kherson despite a ban on leaking information in the region.

At the same time, sources were cited as saying that film crews from public Ukrainian broadcasters, such as Hromadske, and the official channel of the Ukrainian parliament, Rada - who both reported in Kherson - were not affected by the ban.

Kiev attempting to create a flood zone

Last week, Russian Army General Sergei Surovikin, head of the Joint Group of Russian Forces, informed Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that Kiev's intentions to cause a flood zone below the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant might have disastrous consequences.

According to Surovikin, "The implementation of the enemy's plans to create a flood zone below the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power plant can lead to dangerous consequences," adding that "this is confirmed by constant missile attacks on the dam of the Kakhovka HPP, as well as on the spillway gates of this dam."

"So, on September 26, one of the spillway shutters was hit and damaged," Surovikin significantly noted.

He continued that the intense water release via the dam of the Kiev hydroelectric power plant and the hydroelectric power plant downstream because of Ukrainian attacks was also a reason for concern regarding the potential flooding of the two banks of the Dnieper River.

Given the aforementioned information, Surovikin highlighted that over 115,000 people have been evacuated from the right bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson Region.