Ukraine news LATEST: Putin says ‘civilians should not suffer’ as ‘difficult decisions’ are made for Kherson evacuation

DICTATOR Vladimir Putin has signalled Russia could make a withdrawal from Kherson after calling for an evacuation of the region. The Kremlin leader announced that “civilians should not suffer” as the war in Kherson grows “dangerous”, after introducing a 24 hour curfew for more than 284,000 residents. “Now, of course, those who live in Kherson should be removed from the zone of the most dangerous actions, because the civilian population should not suffer,” Putin said to pro-Kremlin activists as they marked Russia’s Day of Unity. The curfew has been recalled: “In the city of Kherson there are absolutely no restrictions that would limit the life of the city,” Kirill Stremousov said on Telegram. It is not yet clear whether Russia is retreating from Kherson, or whether the curfews and evacuations are a façade for something more sinister. Kyiv received up to $400 million worth of military aid from the US, after Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met President Zelensky on Friday. Read our Ukraine-Russia live blog below for the latest updates…