About 100 people are still in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, as Russians block evacuation
About 100 people remain in the city of Vovchansk, with Russian soldiers threatening to shoot them and preventing them from evacuating, Oleh Syniehubov, the Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, has said.
Source: Syniehubov on Ukraine’s national 24/7 newscast
Quote: "We are continuing our evacuation efforts. A total of 10,700 people have been evacuated from the Lyptsi and Vovchansk areas. And as far as we know, there are 100 people in the city of Vovchansk who have been effectively taken hostage by the Russians and are being held under threat of execution."
Details: At the same time, Syniehubov noted that all those who are still in Vovchansk will be evacuated at the earliest possible opportunity.
Syniehubov also said that almost everyone in the border area of Kharkiv Oblast, where fighting is currently taking place, was evacuated during the first few days of the Russian offensive.
"There were about 30 people in all the settlements in the early days of the Russians’ invasion of Kharkiv Oblast. We will establish what happened to them, and whether they got out or not, after the territories are liberated."
Previously:
- On 13 May, Syniehubov reported that the front line and grey zone in Kharkiv Oblast had grown. The Russian military is attempting to deliberately extend it by conducting targeted small-scale attacks in a number of new areas.
- He further stated that "the evacuation of residents from dangerous areas continues". A total of 5,700 people had been evacuated, and another 1,600 were due to be evacuated on 13 May. There were still around 200-300 civilians left in Vovchansk, he said.
- On 21 May, Nazar Voloshyn, spokesman for the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group of Forces, reported on the 24/7 newscast that Ukrainian forces had succeeded in stabilising the situation in Kharkiv Oblast, particularly in the city of Vovchansk, though the situation in the area remained difficult.
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