Ukraine has announced the mandatory evacuation of Kupiansk amid intensified Russian bombardment.
All residents, including over 1,000 children, are to be forced to leave 57 settlements in the region owing to the danger from constant shelling, Oleh Syniehubov, Kharkiv’s regional governor, stated on Telegram.
Meanwhile, all children, along with their parents, will be evacuated from 18 villages in the Velykoburlutska and Vilkhuvatska communities, where around 160 minors currently live.
Mr Syniehubov said that these residents will be relocated within Kharkiv and other regions of Ukraine, where accommodation is already prepared for them.
“We must protect families with children from Russian terror of civilians in the Kharkiv region,” he said. “Every day they risk their lives, because the Russians use the entire arsenal of weapons: artillery, UAVs, mortars, and aircraft.”
More than 28,000 people have evacuated from Kharkiv since the beginning of this year, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Kupiansk is a crucial strategic city in Kharkiv that has come under heavy attacks in recent months as Russia intensified assault on Ukraine’s eastern front.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.