Ukraine yesterday ordered the evacuation of 26 villages in the Kharkiv region, in the northeast of the country, due to repeated attacks by the Russian army in the area
“Taking into account the situation, we are implementing a mandatory evacuation of the towns of Kindrachivska and Kurylivska in the Kupiansk district”, published the regional governor, Oleg Sinegoubov, on social media.
In this last message, the governor lists the names of the 26 affected locations, where 3,043 people live, including 279 children. The Kupiansk district has been under attack by Russian forces for several months.
Russian forces have made “some gains and still hope to be able to break through Ukrainian defenses,” he added. The entire area had been occupied by Russia at the beginning of the February 2022 invasion, until Ukrainian forces liberated the region in September of the same year, forcing Moscow’s troops to withdraw.
Russia returned to the offensive in the summer of 2023, while Ukraine unsuccessfully attempted a major counteroffensive in the Donbass (East) and the South.
Since the end of last year and the failure of the ambitions to reconquer Ukraine, Russian forces have been advancing in the Northeast, in the Kupiansk area, and in the East, particularly around the city of Avdyivka.
Kiev claims to be resisting and inflicting “heavy losses on the Russians”, but also insists to its Western allies that it needs weapons and ammunition to continue resisting.
Kharkiv, where Kupyansk is located, borders Russia and the capital of the region is the second largest city in Ukraine.
Moscow constantly bombs the region, including residential areas. In October last year, a particularly deadly Russian attack killed more than 50 people in the village of Groza.
