Ukraine Orders Evacuation of Several Border Villages as Russian Attacks Intensify

Doc. impact of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine. (Twitter/@ZelenskyyUa)

JAKARTA - Officials in the Kharkiv region, eastern Ukraine bordering Russia, on Tuesday ordered the mandatory evacuation of civilians from several settlements, citing Russia's increased attacks.

The announcement affects seven towns and villages near the northeastern border with Russia, a less active front sector where Moscow has sent troops across the Ukrainian border, as part of an effort to create a buffer zone.

"Given the security situation and the systematic enemy attacks, we are expanding the mandatory evacuation zone in the Zolochiv direction," regional governor Oleg Synegubov said on social media, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (2/6).

He added that the order applies to 7,157 people, including 1,702 children and 311 people with mobility limitations.

Ukraine regularly announces the evacuation of civilians living near the front line, which shows Russia's gradual progress, which has slowed and even reversed in some areas in recent months.

Russian forces seized most of Kharkiv when they invaded in February 2022, but were later pushed back in the same year in a humiliating defeat for the Kremlin.