The Russian-appointed governor of Ukraine’s occupied Zaporozhye region, Yevgeny Balytskyi, said on Friday that he had ordered the evacuation of towns near the front line, saying Ukrainian bombing had intensified in recent days, News.ro reported, citing The Guardian.
“In recent days, the enemy has intensified the bombing of settlements near the front line. Therefore, we decided to evacuate children and parents, the elderly, the disabled and hospital patients first. A temporary evacuation will take place,” Yevhen Balitskyi said.
The move comes as Ukraine’s expected spring counteroffensive is likely to target the Zaporizhia region, which is 80% held by Russian forces and the Russians also control Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which is located in the region, not far from the city. Energodar.
The Russian state news agency TASS reported that the plan to evacuate civilians from the occupied Zaporizhzhia region targets 18 settlements, including the city of Energodar, and provides for the resettlement of about 70,000 people also in the region, but further from the front line.
Minor children will be sent to “camps”
TASS clarifies that “the resettlement of residents from the settlements of the Zaporizhia region bombed by the Ukrainian army is voluntary.”
According to Governor Balytskyi, children of high school age will continue their studies in educational institutions until the end of the school year, while younger children will “rehabilitate and rest in children’s camps.”
Balytsky emphasized that they are forced to resort to such measures, since “Kyiv criminals” are targeting civilian infrastructure. The methods of war used by Kyiv are taken into account and decisions are made accordingly, he said.
Last fall, the Russian Federation announced that it had annexed the entire Zaporizhia region along with three other partially occupied regions – Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk.
Military interventions are expected in Kherson as well. Here, the Ukrainian authorities have declared a state of siege in the city since Friday evening.
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Source: Hot News
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