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Ukraine has begun evacuating hundreds of girls and boys from 31 locations in the Kherson and Donetsk regions in the southeast of the country, where Russian attacks have increased in recent days. According to the country’s authorities, staying in these areas is now too dangerous: for this reason, anyone under the age of 18 is recommended to leave the area accompanied by a parent or guardian. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk spoke of around 800 girls and boys.
For about two weeks, the Russian offensive has resumed on the front line of the eastern territories administered by Russian-backed separatists, then annexed to the country with the farcical referendums a year ago. The Russian army besieged Adviivka, about 20 kilometers from Donetsk, and also began attacking Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, about 300 kilometers further north. The region’s governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, said on Wednesday morning that a 42-year-old man from Kherson had been killed in shelling. Prokudin added that the Russian army had carried out 35 air strikes on the region in the last 24 hours.
This is not the first time that similar evacuations have been organized in Ukraine. Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, spokesman for the Kherson regional government, said some families were reluctant to leave their homes even as the risk of attacks and shelling had increased. Vereshchuk urged people who have been advised to leave the country to do so as soon as possible and said he had asked for help from some international organizations to facilitate the movement. Meanwhile, the government has promised to relocate families to safer areas of the country.
– Also read: The Russian offensive in Ukraine has resumed