200 children to be evacuated from Kharkiv Oblast due to danger

The authorities will be evacuating children from nine settlements in the Vovchansk territorial hromada [an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories – ed.] in Kharkiv Oblast on a compulsory basis.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, during the national 24/7 newscast on 17 July

Quote: "Recently, a decision was taken at the Defence Council regarding the mandatory evacuation of children from nine settlements in the Vovchansk territorial hromada. We need to evacuate 194 children. They will initially be evacuated to the city of Kharkiv, and later we will ask people where they would like to go next.

Our priority is evacuating people beyond the borders of Kharkiv Oblast, but people do not want to go further than the city of Kharkiv. We have accommodation reserved not only in Kharkiv, but in other oblasts too - Poltava, Rivne and other oblasts [of Ukraine]."

Details: Syniehubov stated that "people are reluctant to evacuate".

But safety is the priority, he said.

"These settlements are attacked every day. This morning the Russians shelled the city of Vovchansk, injuring one person. They launch attacks using not just S-300 systems but all types of weaponry, especially since the front line lies along the Kupiansk area," he added.

Syniehubov also noted that Russian troops are deployed along the border with Russia on the northern and northeastern fronts, where they are building fortifications.

On the Kupiansk front, the Russians are building up their capacity and "trying to move on from just deploying reconnaissance and sabotage groups, to attempting large-scale assaults". The Ukrainian forces respond appropriately and repel them, so the Russian army cannot advance, Syniehubov said.

Background: 

• On 10 July, Volodymyr Artiukh, Head of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration, announced that the authorities were evacuating all residents of a five-kilometre zone in the Sumy Oblast hromadas on the Russian border. 
• However, the mandatory evacuation was later called off. 
• Ukraine's government has been offering to evacuate people from Sumy Oblast free of charge since 15 July.

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