Thousands evacuated as Russia pounds Ukraine border town
The Hindu
Russia kept up constant strikes on a key town as part of a cross-border offensive.
Thousands of people been evacuated from border areas in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, as Russia kept up constant strikes on a key town as part of a cross-border offensive, officials said Sunday.
The surprise Russian attack across Ukraine's northeastern border began on Friday, with troops making small advances in an area from where they had been pushed back nearly two years ago.
"In total, 4,073 people have been evacuated," Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov wrote on social media, a day after Russian forces claimed the capture of five villages in the region.
Ukraine has reported several civilians killed in the offensive. Synegubov said the latest casualty – a 63-year-old man – was killed by artillery fire in the village of Glyboke.
On Sunday AFP saw groups of people who had been evacuated from around the border town of Vovchansk, most of them elderly and disoriented.
"We weren't going to leave. Home is home," said 72-year-old Lyuda Zelenskaya, hugging a trembling cat named Zhora.
Liuba Konovalova, 70 said she had endured a "really terrifying" night before her evacuation.
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