Kiev, 19 October 2022 (dpa/MIA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin imposed martial law in four recently annexed Ukrainian territories as Moscow's hold over one of them, the southern region of Kherson, became more precarious. The European Union, meanwhile, agreed to sanction Iran for supplying Russia with drones used to strike civilian targets in Ukraine, a tactic Moscow has made heavy use of since the start of last week. Putin's martial law decree, which he announced on Wednesday during a National Security Council meeting, expands the powers of the Russian occupying administrations in the four regions - Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya - and allows authorities to put tighter controls on the civilians living there. He justified the move by saying Kiev had refused to recognize the results of UN-condemned referendums held in September on joining Russia. Territorial defence forces and command centres are to be created in all four of the regions, which Russia does not have full control over despite the illegal annexation, state media in Russia reported. "Under the current circumstances, I find it necessary to give additional authority to the heads of all Russian regions," Putin said during the meeting, according to the TASS news agency. Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted that Putin's decree "does not change anything" and that Kiev will continue to fight for the "liberation and deoccupation of our territories." The Kremlin's move came shortly after Russian officials admitted that the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson could be slipping out their hands and warned that a major Ukrainian counteroffensive was looming. The deputy head of the pro-Russian administration in the region, Kirill Stremousov, said on Wednesday morning that while the situation was "stable" at the moment, the Ukrainian army has amassed tens of thousands of soldiers to retake Kherson. The focus in recent days has centred on the regional capital, the city of Kherson. The city fell into Russian hands in March, shortly after the start of Russia's war against its neighbour. Ukraine is trying to drive Russian forces in Kherson back east across the Dnipro river that bisects the country. Russian soldiers on the western bank, where the city is located, are close to being totally cut off from supply lines and reinforcements. Stremousov, later said on Telegram that Ukrainian forces were launching attacks in the direction of the Kherson towns of Nova Kamianka and Beryslav. All attacks have been repelled, he said. Kiev has yet to comment on Stremousov's battlefield claim, but said that it had shot down a Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter in the region. In a message that underscored the plight Russia is facing, the head of the Russian occupation administration of Kherson announced the evacuation of "about 50,000 to 60,000" civilians from the city to either Russia or occupied parts of Ukraine. Vladimir Saldo said the operation would take about six days, according to Russia's TASS news agency. He said residents have already been informed of the plans by text message. Saldo also said that administrative offices would also be temporarily evacuated and the operations moved elsewhere. Speaking on Russian television hours earlier, the new commander-in-chief of Russian troops in Ukraine, Sergei Surovikin, said "difficult decisions" might have to be made about Kherson given the situation Moscow's forces found themselves in. It was a highly unusual appearance by the army general, who seemed to suggest that Russia might consider withdrawing from the city. In recent days, the Russian army has increasingly deployed Iranian-made drones to crash into Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, including electricity and water supplies. Zelensky said on Tuesday that one-third of Ukraine's power stations had been destroyed in one week. Both Moscow and Tehran deny an arms deal relating to the "kamikaze" drones. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure "war crimes." "Yesterday we saw again Russia's targeted attacks against civilian infrastructure, and this is marking a new chapter in an already very cruel war," von der Leyen said on Wednesday in Strasbourg addressing the European Parliament. "These are war crimes. "Targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure with the clear aim to cut off men, women, children of water, electricity and heating with the winter coming, these are acts of pure terror," she said. Hours later, European Union countries agreed to sanction on Iran over the drones supplied to Russia and used in strikes on Ukraine, multiple EU diplomats told dpa. Five individuals and three entities are to be sanctioned, talks in Brussels decided, according to EU diplomats, with the final confirmation to come from EU states before midday on Thursday. Targeted people are to be banned from travelling to the bloc and have their assets in the EU frozen. According to information from Kiev, more than 70 people have been killed by drone and rocket attacks in the past week and a half. More than 240 have been injured, a spokesperson for the civil protection agency said. Ukraine reported further Russian missile attacks on central areas of the country on Wednesday afternoon, including the Vinnytsia and Chernihiv region. Explosions were also heard in Kiev.