Sumy Oblast residents will not be evacuated from areas near Ukraine's border

Mandatory evacuation of Sumy Oblast residents who live within five kilometres of the Ukrainian-Russian border has been called off.

Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration press service, citing Volodymyr Artiukh, Head of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration, during a press briefing

Quote: "I want to stress that there will be no emergency mandatory evacuation. Evacuation will proceed as planned after [Sumy Oblast] residents make their own decision [regarding whether to evacuate]. If someone refuses to evacuate, they can write a statement of refusal. Everyone else who wants to be evacuated will be taken to safe locations. I’d like to stress this: the evacuation will proceed as planned and will be voluntary.

[...] People have to know that if they remain in the ‘death zone’ – there is no other way to describe this area – they have to accept responsibility for their lives. Though of course we won’t leave them alone. Every life is precious.

But will they have access to emergency medical services? Will electrical engineers be able to repair power lines within 100 metres of the line of contact which enemy forces are destroying? I don’t think so. We can’t provide comfort for some of the residents while putting the lives of others at risk."

Details: Artiukh said that the evacuation will only start when the evacuation commission and he personally will be certain that there is appropriate accommodation for residents of areas near the border, and that all relevant services were prepared to carry out the evacuation safely. The Armed Forces of Ukraine will help evacuate Sumy Oblast residents.

Background:

• On 10 July, Volodymyr Artiukh, Head of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration, reported that the government would evacuate all Sumy Oblast residents of the area within five kilometres from the Ukrainian-Russian border.

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