Local authorities in Ukraine have issued orders for the evacuation of residents from multiple villages near the heavily damaged northeastern city of Kupiansk due to the deteriorating security situation caused by intense Russian attacks. The governor of the northeastern Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, announced on Telegram that 409 families, including 601 children, were instructed to leave 27 localities. Subsequently, an official disclosed that the evacuation list had been expanded to encompass 40 localities.
Over the past months, Russian forces have been relentlessly targeting and advancing towards the city of Kupiansk as part of their strategic move westward across central and Eastern Ukraine in the ongoing conflict. Although the city was initially captured by Russian forces during the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it was later recaptured by Ukrainian forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently emphasized the defense of crucial front-line areas, including Kupiansk, by Ukrainian forces. Moreover, there have been reports of a Ukrainian counter-offensive near the town of Dobropillia to the south. In contrast, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Moscow’s forces maintain a strategic advantage in the front-line regions. Ukraine’s top officer, Oleksandr Syrskyi, estimates that the front line spans over 1,200 kilometers.
The situation remains tense in the region as both sides continue their military engagements, with civilians caught in the crossfire and facing the brunt of the conflict.