The Russian occupation authorities in Ukraine's southern megacity of Kherson have laid over a so- called vote on joining Russia, on security grounds.
" This is being broke because of the security situation," said Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian- appointed administration there.
He said heavy Ukrainian shelling had made a crucial Kherson ground impenetrable.
Ukraine and its Western abettors have denounced the vote plans in Kherson and other areas as illegal.
Meanwhile, Ukraine says its forces have reacquired Vysokopillya, a small city some 167 km( 104 long hauls) north of central Kherson.
That gain- not vindicated singly is part of acounter-offensive in the south launched by the Ukrainian army last week.
A print shows dogfaces supposedly raising the Ukrainian flag over the city, which had nearly,000 residers before the war. It was posted on Facebook by Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's office.
His print caption says" Vysokopillya, Kherson Region. Ukraine. moment."
President Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had reacquired two" population centres" in the south, but didn't name them.
Russia has been planning blackballs in Kherson and the southern Zaporizhzhia region, utmost of which it controls.
Speaking on Russian state television, Mr Stremousov said Ukrainian shelling had damaged Kherson's Antonovskiy Bridge to such an extent that vehicles could no longer cross it.
He said barges transporting civilians across the Dnieper( Dnipro) swash were also coming under Ukrainian fire, as was the megacity's structure.
The Russians have reckoned on the ground to bring colors and tackle in and out of Kherson.
Ukraine has stationed US- made Himars multiple rocket launchers in its drive to push the Russians out of the megacity the first to fall to them after their 24 February irruption.
'Heavy fighting' as Ukraine seeks to retake Kherson
As well as Kherson, Russia has blazoned plans for blackballs in other captured home, analogous to that held in Crimea after its colors seized the promontory in 2014.
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk prompted civilians to leave Kherson as fighting intensifies in the area. She has also advised that any who share in the planned Russian vote are liable to face Ukrainian execution.
Russia's irruption has destabilised life in Ukraine to such an extent that it isn't clear who could bounce in similar blackballs anyway. The Crimea vote in 2014, held under military occupation, wasn't recognised internationally.
