Russia-installed Zaporizhzhia governor says he's evacuating front-line villages before Ukrainian counteroffensive

The Russian-installed governor of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, said on Friday he had ordered the evacuation of villages close to the front line with Ukrainian forces there, saying that Ukrainian shelling had intensified in recent days.

A widely expected Ukrainian spring counteroffensive against Russian forces viewed as likely to take in the Zaporizhzhia region, around 80% of which is held by Moscow.