Local authorities in Ukraine have instructed the evacuation of residents from numerous villages surrounding the severely damaged northeastern city of Kupiansk due to the deteriorating security conditions caused by heavy Russian attacks. Governor Oleh Syniehubov of the northeastern Kharkiv region announced on Telegram that 409 families, including 601 children, were directed to leave 27 communities. Subsequently, an official in the impacted area informed public broadcaster Suspilne that the evacuation list had been expanded to 40 localities.
For an extended period, Russian forces have been launching assaults and making progress towards the city of Kupiansk, considered a significant target in their westward advancement through central and Eastern Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. Although initially overtaken by Russian forces early in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the city was later reclaimed by Kyiv’s forces.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine recently stated that Ukrainian forces were safeguarding critical front-line areas, including Kupiansk. He also mentioned a Ukrainian counter-offensive near the town of Dobropillia to the south in recent days. In contrast, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed senior officers last week that Moscow’s forces maintain a strategic advantage across front-line regions. Ukraine’s top officer, Oleksandr Syrskyi, estimates the front line to span over 1,200 kilometres.