Lithuania preparing evacuation plans in case of war
Lithuanian authorities are drawing up plans for mass evacuations of civilians in case of armed conflict, the LRT public broadcaster reported on July 25, citing the country's Interior Ministry.
Evacuation
Thousands of Ukrainian IDPs are struggling to adapt amid housing, employment crises
“There was a summer kitchen, a single bedroom, and a little hallway… and behind the wall lived the pigs and goats,” said Maryna Baliasnykova, an internally displaced Ukrainian. She described the accommodation her family was given by local authorities in western Ukraine after evacuation. Baliasnykova, her husband, and their two
The Counteroffensive: Crossing the 'gray zone' from Russia into Ukraine
Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on June 23, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to "The Counteroffensive," click here. *Sofia’s name has been changed due to security concerns. They call it
Ukraine evacuates children from Kharkiv Oblast's Zolochiv border area
Local authorities in the Zolochiv community have launched mandatory evacuations for children in six villages: Ivashky, Oleksandrivka, Perovske, Basovo, Tymofiivka, and Vidrodzhenivske.
As their parents refuse to evacuate, these Ukrainian children grow up on the front line (Photos)
Since the summer of 2023, local Ukrainian authorities announced the mandatory evacuation of families with children from multiple front-line areas due to the intensification of hostilities. The orders apply to several districts in Kharkiv Oblast, which borders Russia and has been heavily bombarded throughout the full-scale invasion, and the entirety
The Counteroffensive: Some aren't evacuating from Ukraine's front-line towns. Why?
Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on May 30, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to "The Counteroffensive," click here. Nataliia Kalinichenko treasures her newspaper archives, with clippings dating back to the 1940s,
Ukraine announces mandatory evacuation for 123 children from Kharkiv Oblast
Ukrainian authorities ordered the evacuation of 123 children from 36 settlements in the country's northeastern Kharkiv Oblast, the Reintegration Ministry announced on May 24.
Governor reports 25 civilian casualties, near 8,000 evacuations amid Russian assault on Kharkiv Oblast
Almost 8,000 civilians have been evacuated amid Russia's offensive in northern Kharkiv Oblast, which has killed at least one civilian and injured 24 others over the past day, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on May 15.
Over 7,500 civilians evacuated from northern Kharkiv Oblast
Of the 7,531 people who have been evacuated so far, 568 are children, and 201 are people with disabilities, Syniehubov said.
Governor: Up to 300 civilians remain in Vovchansk amid Russian advances
Up to 300 people remain in Vovchansk as Russian troops "advance in certain directions," Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on May 13.
Over 5,000 civilians evacuated from Kharkiv Oblast
5,762 civilians in Kharkiv Oblast have been evacuated from their homes amid heavy fighting in the region, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on May 13.
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
Evacuations ongoing as Russian strikes increase in Kharkiv Oblast
Around 500 people remain in the city of Vovchansk, close to the Russian border. Earlier in the day, two casualties were reported in Vovchansk and the nearby village Liptsy.
Over 300 people evacuated from border areas of Kharkiv Oblast, minister says
More than 300 civilians have been evacuated from the border communities of Kharkiv Oblast amid renewed Russian attacks on the area, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on May 11.
Over 1,700 civilians evacuated from Kharkiv Oblast over past day
Over the past day, 1,775 civilians in Kharkiv Oblast have been evacuated from their homes amid renewed Russian attacks on the region, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on May 11.
Kyiv evacuates children hospital due to attack threat
Kyiv authorities urgently evacuated two hospitals on April 26 after a Belarusian official appeared to threaten them with attack in a speech.
Governor announces mandatory evacuation from 3 Kharkiv Oblast districts
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.
Ukraine announces mandatory evacuation for children from 52 settlements in Sumy Oblast
Ukrainian authorities mandated the evacuation of children from two communities, including 52 settlements, in Sumy Oblast, the Reintegration Ministry announced on April 5.
Evacuation of civilians continues in Sumy Oblast
Ukrainian authorities continue evacuations of communities in the northeastern Sumy Oblast close to the Russian border after Moscow intensified its attacks against the region, local officials said on March 15.
Another 47 Ukrainians evacuated from Gaza
A plane with 47 Ukrainians on board who have been evacuated from Gaza arrived in Moldova, Ukraine's military intelligence agency reported on March 12.
Governor announces mandatory evacuation from near Kupiansk
Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov announced on March 7 that local authorities would conduct mandatory evacuation of residents living in communities near Kupiansk.
Saving lives from Russia’s flood: Inside inundated, shelled Kherson
KHERSON – Since Russia’s full-scale war began, first came eight months of terror under occupation, then came seven months of intense shelling across the river, then came the river itself to Kherson. Over 24 hours after Russian forces destroyed the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and its massive dam over the
Inside the mission to evacuate civilians from Ukraine's front lines: Interview with UK volunteer
British photographer turned volunteer Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke and his team have evacuated thousands of Ukrainians to safer locations in Ukraine and abroad. We spoke with him about evacuation challanges and why people refuse to leave despite danger.
Ukrainians with disabilities endure disproportionate impact of Russia’s war
On a cold day in March, Vitalii Pcholkin, who uses a wheelchair, lay under three blankets, unable to warm up. He and his wife Uliana, also confined to a wheelchair, had been sheltering in their apartment in then-occupied Bucha, a satellite town just northwest of Kyiv. Bucha was cut off
Why Russian relocation of Ukrainians is not an evacuation
On Oct. 18, Moscow-installed proxies in occupied Kherson announced an organized relocation of Ukrainians to the Dnipro River’s east bank, away from the city. Many media, even some in Ukraine, called it an evacuation. The Kyiv Independent’s Iryna Matviyishyn explains why it’s a dangerously wrong label.
Inside a volunteer mission to evacuate civilians from Donbas
People call them angels. In a blue van stuffed with bags of food, sleeping mats, water, and medicine, volunteers Artem Belan and Volodymyr Antonov, both 41, drive out of Kyiv’s suburbs for a daring mission: evacuating civilians from the frontline towns of Donetsk Oblast. The fighting in Donbas, an
Inside massacre of civilian evacuees outside Kyiv
STOYANKA-2, Kyiv Oblast – In the village of Stoyanka-2 outside Kyiv, a half-dozen cars line the road, riddled with holes, their bodywork mangled by bullets and an explosion. Their windows, bearing handwritten Ukrainian signs saying “Children” are perforated or shattered. The suitcases inside the vehicles appear to have been searched. The
War Stories: Evacuees risk their lives as they flee to Kyiv
While Ukrainian forces have, so far, successfully held off the Russian troops from taking Kyiv, the towns around the capital have become some of the most intense battlegrounds of the ongoing war. Russia seized the outlying suburban towns with vehicles and infantry, setting up checkpoints and, in many cases, cutting
Kyiv train station mayhem as thousands rush to flee
Editor’s Note: Ukrainians mentioned in this story were reluctant to have their full names published in the press due to security risks brought by the Russian invasion. Thousands of people spend hours at Kyiv’s central railway station, each day, hanging onto a slim hope of boarding a train
As their universities are shelled, fleeing foreign students wait days at borders
TYSA, Ukraine – Upon arrival at the Tysa border checkpoint between Ukraine and Hungary, one is struck by the shortness of the vehicle queue. Fewer than a hundred cars stand in line, a sharp contrast to the 30-kilometer queues at some crossings into Poland. However, to the side of the road
Before you close
this banner,
we want to tell you something…
The Kyiv Independent doesn’t depend on a wealthy owner or an oligarch — in 2023, 80% of our revenue was from reader contributions. It’s thanks to them that we don’t have to rely on a single owner.
Support us now and help maintain our independent model and keep our articles free for everyone. Your contributions allow us to cover journalists’ salaries, report from the front lines, and fund projects like our War Crimes Investigations Unit.
(Updated: )
