Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of civilians with children from more than a dozen towns and settlements in the Donetsk region as Russian forces make rapid, though limited, advances in the area.
The evacuation order was issued on Wednesday by the head of the Donetsk region, Governor Vadym Filashkin, who urged families to leave towns and villages under threat.
“We are beginning the mandatory evacuation of families with children from the town of Bilozerske,” Governor Filashkin said, adding that around a dozen other settlements are included in the orders.
According to Filashkin, roughly 1,150 children in the area will be directly affected by the evacuation mandate.
Timing Ahead of US-Russia Summit
The evacuation comes just before a scheduled meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. The leaders are expected to discuss ending the three-year-long war in Ukraine, with Kyiv wary of being excluded from negotiations or pressured into unfavorable ceasefire terms.
Ukraine and Russia Trade Attacks
Tensions remain high as Ukraine and Russia exchange attacks. Ukraine’s General Staff reported a successful drone strike on a major refinery in Russia’s Saratov region early Sunday, part of a series of strikes targeting Russian oil facilities this month.
The regional governor said UAVs hit an “industrial enterprise” about 530 miles southeast of Moscow, causing temporary airport delays and at least one civilian death when drone debris fell on a residential area. Videos on Russian social media showed flames and heavy smoke near the Rosneft PJSC-operated refinery.
Russia continues to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure. On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev condemned Russian air strikes on the SOCAR oil depot in Ukraine and attacks on a gas compressor station transporting Azerbaijani gas to the country.
Additionally, Russia bombed Zaporizhzhia, hitting residential buildings, the main bus terminal, and a clinic. Zelensky reported casualties but did not provide exact numbers.
