Mar 03,2023: Ukraine has ordered the mandatory evacuation of vulnerable residents from the front-line city of Kupiansk and adjacent northeastern territories as fears mount Russia will retake the key city and rail hub.
“Mandatory evacuation of families with children and residents with limited mobility began in Kupiansk community,” the Kharkiv regional military administration said on its website on Friday.
“The decision was made … taking into account the unstable security situation due to constant shelling of the territory of the community by Russian troops,” it added.
Ukraine made rapid gains in the northeastern Kharkiv region late last year, driving deep into Russian lines, but its forces have been on the defensive for three months.
In September, Russian troops retreated from key cities in the Kharkiv region, including Kupiansk.
The city has been an important rail centre used by Russia since it took control after its February 24 invasion.
