KYIV: Ukraine on Thursday ordered the evacuation of children and their guardians from several towns and villages in the eastern Donetsk region, where conflict with Russia is escalating.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized the concentration of Russian firepower in Donetsk, despite the Kremlin’s claim of takeover in 2022 without full control.
“This is an important decision designed primarily to save the lives of our children,” Donetsk governor Vadym Filashkin said on social media.
“The security situation in the region is constantly deteriorating and the intensity of shelling is increasing,” he added.
Towns like Lyman, briefly held by Russian forces before recapture, and other villages near the front line, such as Progres, are listed as evacuation points.
In the early stages of the conflict in February 2022, Zelensky urged residents of the industrial Donetsk region to flee, though enforcement was lacking. Last month, Ukraine redirected manpower to the northeastern Kharkiv region following a Russian ground offensive.
Since the capture of Avdiivka in February, Russian forces have advanced westward against the Ukrainian army, which faces shortages in manpower and ammunition. Filashkin had earlier announced that a 59-year-old woman was killed in Chasiv Yar and a retired man wounded in separate Russian attacks.
Furthermore, two civilians were killed and over a dozen wounded in attacks the previous day. The statement said that more than 217 people were evacuated including 61 children, the day before.
