Donetsk Residents Evacuate Amid Reports of Ramped-Up Battles

1 年前

Civilians fled Marinka on August 17 following reports of increasing battle activity and amid mandatory evacuation orders for the Donetsk region by Ukrainian officials.

This footage shared by the Donetsk Regional State Administration shows the evacuation of local residents. They were taken to the Pokrovsk railway station, which has served as a hub for residents leaving Donetsk for safer regions in the west, officials said.

One woman is seen bleeding from a deep shoulder wound that she said she bandaged herself.

The administration reported that 6,587 residents left the Donetsk region since the beginning of August, and 327 people evacuated on August 16. President Zelensky called for mandatory evacuations in the region on July 31.

“These numbers must grow rapidly, because it is dangerous to stay in Donetsk region,” wrote the administration. “The Russians will not stop shelling, and winter will bring new difficulties.”

British intelligence reports from August 14 indicate that battles in the Donetsk region ramped up as “particularly heavy fighting” took place near the contested Donetsk airport in Pisky. They reported that battles were also fought in both the north and west regions of Donetsk. Credit: Donetsk Regional State Administration via Storyful