Pro-Russian authorities in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region on Friday ordered the evacuation of 18 localities located near the frontline after noticing that Ukrainian forces have intensified their attacks in the area.
The pro-Russian governor, Yevgeni Balitsky, said that the first to be moved will be those considered most vulnerable, including children, the elderly, the disabled and patients of medical centers. »We cannot risk people’s safety,» he said, Interfax news agency reports.
These people will be evacuated to other areas of Zaporizhzhia further away from the front, according to Balitsky on a »temporary» basis.
Zaporizhzhia, in southern Ukraine, is one of the four regions that Russia claims as its own after partially seizing them in the last year, following the military offensive launched in February 2022 on the orders of the president, Vladimir Putin. In recent weeks, Ukrainian authorities have anticipated an imminent counter-offensive to recapture the occupied areas.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
