Ukrainian authorities announced today that a large-scale evacuation of residents from more than 200 settlements in Sumy region, near the border with Russia, has begun, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
So far, about 52,000 people have been evacuated to safety, the head of the Sumy regional military administration, Oleg Grigorov, said in a televised statement. This represents approximately 60% of the total 86,000 civilians to be evacuated from the affected settlements.
“We are providing transportation, accommodation, as well as humanitarian, financial and psychological assistance“, Grigorov said, without specifying a deadline for the completion of the operation.
The Sumy region has been under intense Russian attacks for months. Military experts believe that the region, including the city of Sumy, could be among the main targets of Moscow's expected summer offensive, DPA noted.
Over the weekend, the Russian military carried out a drone strike on a minibus used to evacuate civilians near the town of Bilopilya in the Sumy region. The attack killed nine people.
Meanwhile, in the municipality of Velikopysarivka, also in the Sumy region, Russian shelling damaged hydrotechnical facilities, the Sumy regional military administration reported on its Telegram channel, quoted by Ukrinform.
“As a result of another attack by Russian forces, damage was caused to hydrotechnical infrastructure. There is currently no flooding in residential areas. The water level is stable, without rising“, the statement said.
Local authorities emphasize that the situation is being closely monitored and that the population will be informed in a timely manner in the event of any changes. Citizens are urged to remain calm and trust only official sources.