The Ukrainian government has ordered the mandatory evacuation of Donetsk, the eastern region that is the scene of fierce fighting with Russian forces, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today.
In a televised address to the public late in the evening, Zelenskyy said that hundreds of thousands of people who are still in conflict zones in the wider area of Donbas must also leave.
– The more people who leave Donetsk now, the fewer people the Russian army will have time to kill – he said, adding that the evacuees would receive compensation.
– Many refuse to leave, but it still needs to be done. If you have a chance, please talk to those who are still in the conflict zones in Donbass. Please, convince them that they have to leave – said Zelenskyy .
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that the evacuation should be carried out before the start of winter because natural gas supplies in that region have been destroyed, Ukrainian media reported.
