Russian-installed officials ordered civilians in 18 occupied communities near the front line to evacuate as both sides appear to be bracing for a widely expected Ukrainian offensive.
According to the WSJ, Yevgeniy Balitsky, the Russian-installed head of occupied parts of Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, said the evacuation was needed to “strengthen security,” amid an uptick in Ukrainian attacks. The city of Enerhodar, next to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, is among the communities being evacuated.
“I decided to remove, first of all, children with their parents, the elderly, the disabled, patients of medical institutions from enemy fire and move them from the front-line territories deep into the region,” Mr. Balitsky wrote Friday on Telegram. “This is a necessary measure to ensure the safety of the residents of the front-line territories.”
He added that children would be able to stay in school once evacuated, and people who were being evacuated would receive accommodation, food and “lump sum payments.”
The evacuations are the latest step Russian officials have taken to consolidate their hold on occupied parts of Ukraine ahead of a possible Ukrainian offensive to retake lost territory. Officials have also been pushing residents to take Russian passports; officers question people on public buses who are far from home.
Russian officials also evacuated civilians from the city of Kherson last year before the withdrawal of Moscow’s forces from the city. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said the evacuation of civilians from front-line areas is likely also designed to pave the way for Russian troops to conduct a controlled retreat.
