Ukraine Seeks to Evacuate Two-Thirds of Donetsk Population Before Winter

In part out of concern that people won’t be able to stay warm in infrastructure damaged from Russia’s ongoing invasion, and that many homes have been cut off from water and gas supplies, the Deputy Prime Minister said that Ukraine is planning to evacuate two-thirds of citizens from areas in the eastern battleground region of Donetsk before winter.

Out of about 350,000 people, the government intends to evacuate about 220,000, including 52,000 children, Iryna Vereshchuk said at a news conference.

Since the fighting has destroyed the infrastructure for power and heating, she advised thousands to leave before winter arrives.

To save civilian lives, Ukraine announced late last month the mass evacuation of people from the Donetsk area, which has been the site of fierce fighting with Russia.

Residents have the option to stay – even though the authorities have declared the evacuation “mandatory” – by filling out a form indicating their desire to do so.

3,904 people have been evacuated since August 1st, according to Vereshchuk.

She added that evacuation efforts may need to be expanded to include additional war-torn regions, including Kherson, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia.

Donetsk is located in the eastern region of Donbas, which Russia, through force and brutality, seeks to completely control.