Reintegration Ministry reports on first week of compulsory evacuation from Donbas
An employee of the State Emergency Service helps an elderly woman during a mandatory evacuation from the Donetsk Oblast (Photo:minre.gov.ua via Telegram)
Over 2,000 people were evacuated from Donbas during the first week of a mandatory evacuation order in Donetsk Oblast, including women, children, elderly and people with limited mobility, Ukraine’s Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories stated via Telegram messenger on Aug. 6.
"Some citizens are even evacuating with their pets," the ministry noted.
Additionally, the ministry confirmed the safe return of an abducted child to Ukraine.
"The occupiers sent the family of Lyubov Bobro from Kharkiv, with their small children, to Siberia,” the message reads.
“They were returned home thanks to the efforts of the Reintegration Ministry team and personally, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. In total, 50 children who were illegally taken to the Russian Federation have been returned to Ukraine today."
The Ukrainian government decided to order the mandatory evacuation of the government-controlled areas of Donetsk Oblast due to constant Russian shelling and the impossibility of ensuring heating in the region during the cold season.
200,000-220,000 people are estimated to remain in the region, including 52,000 children.
Despite the evacuation being mandatory, the government cannot force residents to leave against their will. Donbas residents who refuse the evacuation order are required to sign a consent form confirming their understanding of the consequences of war.
The Cabinet of Ministers has created a coordination headquarters to manage resettlement for evacuated residents.
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