Inhabitants of the city of Sloviansk are moved to safe areas in the face of intense shelling
Fears in Europe of an imminent Russian gas cut were conjured up on Wednesday with an adverse war report for Ukraine. The intense bombardment to which the Moscow troops have subjected the eastern city of Sloviansk, in the Donbas region, has forced the massive evacuation of its residents.
Of the 100,000 inhabitants that the town had before the Russian invasion, there were barely 23,000 left who were taken to safe areas. “We are taking people out every day. Many were evacuated by bus to Dnipro, further west,” explained the mayor of Sloviansk, Vadym Lyaj, who noted that the Russians had not yet managed to surround the municipality, although he reported that the attacks have already left 17 civilians dead and 67 wounded.
Vitaliy, a plumber, said his wife and daughter, who is six months pregnant, were evacuated from Sloviansk. “Here, after what happened on Tuesday, when they attacked the city center, we need to leave,” he told AFP.
The fall on Sunday of the strategic city of Lisichansk has opened the way for Moscow’s troops to the province of Donetsk, the last one they have left to occupy in Donbas, and where the attacks do not stop.
“The enemy is shelling chaotically and aims to destroy the local population. So, again, my main advice is to evacuate, “Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of Donetsk, explained in a message to the Ukrainian media, while indicating that only on Tuesday five civilians had died and another 21 were injured.
Attack on Kharkiv
The Russian Defense Ministry reported this Wednesday, for its part, of attacks against the northeastern city of Kharkov with “high-precision” weapons, where 150 Ukrainian soldiers would have died. Other areas were also hit with missiles and artillery, the kyiv authorities detailed. Meanwhile, the Kremlin said it is investigating the alleged torture of Russian soldiers captured in Ukraine, who were recently freed as part of a prisoner swap.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the decision announced Tuesday by the Defense Ministry to prevent men of military age from leaving their town without permission a “mistake.” The president informed that the measure has been suppressed after a meeting with representatives of the ministry and military authorities.
#Mass #evacuations #Donbas #advance #Moscow #troops