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.
"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.
Kateryna Hodunova
