Over 7,500 civilians evacuated from northern Kharkiv Oblast

Over 7,500 civilians in the north of Kharkiv Oblast have been evacuated from their homes amid heavy fighting in the region, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on May 14.

Of the 7,531 people who have been evacuated so far, 568 are children, and 201 are people with disabilities, Syniehubov said.

Russia launched new offensive actions on May 10 in the directions of Lyptsi and Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast. The attack involves more than 30,000 Russian troops, according to Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Lytvynenko.

Ukraine's General Staff said on May 13 that Russia has "tactical success" in the fight for Vovchansk, a town situated less than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the border with Russia.

"Active firefights are taking place on the northern outskirts of the city," Syniehubov reported on May 14.

According to Ukrinform, 5,000 people from Vovchansk district have been evacuated to safer areas.

Vovchansk, which had a population of almost 17,000 before the full-scale invasion, came under Russian occupation in February 2022. The town was liberated on Sept. 11, 2022, during Ukraine's successful counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast.

Russia’s new Kharkiv offensive pushes Vovchansk to the brink of annihilation

VOVCHANSK, KHARKIV OBLAST – The glide bombs arrive in groups of three. Their flight can be heard from far away, but only in the last second before impact is it clear where it will hit. The explosions, orders of magnitude more powerful than regular artillery shells, shake the ground where the

The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell