KYIV: As Russian forces make significant territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, civilians are fleeing areas close to the front lines in the Donetsk region, where intense fighting has led to increased shelling and destruction.
Russian troops have recently captured several towns and villages in the Donetsk region, intensifying their push toward key logistical hubs. In Myrnohrad, located less than 10 kilometers from the front line, residents have been forced to evacuate due to escalating violence. The situation has deteriorated rapidly, prompting many to leave their homes for safety.
Maksym, a 40-year-old mine worker from Myrnohrad, described the dire conditions that led him to evacuate. “I need to leave, because the situation is really getting worse. Every day — not even every day, but every hour — is like an avalanche,” he said. A recent strike that hit his apartment building, shattering windows, convinced him that staying was too dangerous. “Thank God I wasn’t home, but I decided to leave, because life is precious,” he added.
The damage in Myrnohrad is evident. Journalists observed houses burning following a recent Russian shelling attack. A half-destroyed residential building and a burnt-out car marked the aftermath of the shelling.
Russian forces are pushing toward Pokrovsk, a strategically important city located just five kilometers west of Myrnohrad. The Ukrainian government has ordered the evacuation of families with children from Pokrovsk and surrounding areas, where over 50,000 people still reside.
Galyna, a 74-year-old resident, was assisting her granddaughter in relocating to central Ukraine. “My granddaughter is scared. I feel sorry for the children,” she said. Regional officials have set up temporary accommodation centers to assist those who have fled but have nowhere else to go.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry claimed victory in capturing the town of Zhelanne, located approximately 20 kilometers southeast of the recent fighting. Moscow has declared the annexation of the Donetsk region, along with three other areas in eastern and southern Ukraine, despite not having full control over any of these regions.
The Donetsk region has been a focal point of the conflict since 2014, when Moscow-backed separatists attempted to secede from Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s parliament voted to join the International Criminal Court (ICC), aiming to hold Russia accountable for alleged war crimes committed during the invasion. Ukraine had signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC in 2000 but had not ratified it due to concerns about the potential prosecution of its own soldiers.
Meanwhile, both Ukraine and Russia conducted drone strikes overnight. Russia claimed to have destroyed 45 drones, including 11 targeting Moscow. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the attack as one of the largest attempts to strike the Russian capital.
Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting 72 air targets, including 50 drones and one missile, some of which were headed for Kyiv.
