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Governor announces mandatory evacuation from 3 Kharkiv Oblast districts

2 min read
Governor announces mandatory evacuation from 3 Kharkiv Oblast districts
Ukrainians wait in front of an evacuation train as the volunteers of the NGO Boctok SOS help people evacuate the city in Pokrovsk, Ukraine on August 1, 2023. (Ignacio Marin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A mandatory evacuation order for families with children has been expanded to 47 more front-line settlements in Kharkiv Oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov announced on April 11.

Russia recently intensified attacks against Ukraine's second-largest city with the use of missiles, glide bombs, and drones, reportedly destroying almost all of its energy infrastructure.

The settlements, which lay close to Ukraine's border with Russia, fall within the region's Kharkiv, Bohokhudiv, and Izium districts, the governor said. A total of 182 children reportedly live there.

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War Notes

"Evacuation routes have already been determined and places of temporary residence have been booked," Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.

Mandatory evacuation does not apply to the city of Kharkiv, which has been at the forefront of Russian attacks since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion and saw an escalation in strikes in recent weeks.

Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi nevertheless said that any Russia's attempt to take control over Kharkiv soon could be  "fatal," but he did not rule out this scenario.

In early March, announced expansion of mandatory evacuation from near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast as Russia intensified assault attempts in the area.

Russia intensifies attacks on Kharkiv, draining Ukraine’s air defense and civilian morale
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Kateryna Denisova

Politics Reporter

Kateryna Denisova is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in Ukrainian politics. Based in Kyiv, she focuses on domestic affairs, parliament, and social issues. Denisova began her career in journalism in 2020 and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

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