Around 100 people remain in Vovchansk, whom the Russian soldiers are not allowing to evacuate, threatening to shoot them, Kharkiv Oblast Head Oleh Syniehubov said.
According to Syniehubov, the Kharkiv government continues evacuation efforts. A total of 10,700 people have been evacuated from the Lypetsk and Vovchansk directions.
“Some 100 people remain in the city of Vovchansk, whom the Russians have essentially taken hostage and are not letting out for evacuation under threats of execution,” he said during a television marathon.
Synehubov also said that in the first days of the Russian offensive from the Kharkiv Oblast border, where fighting is now taking place, they evacuated almost all people.
“In the first days of the Russians’ entry into the territory of Kharkiv Oblast, there were about 30 people in all the populated areas.”
On 10 May, Russian forces launched a renewed offensive on Kharkiv Oblast.
On 13 May, the gray zone and front line in the oblast had increased, with Russian troops deliberately trying to stretch it by attacking in small groups in new directions.
On 21 May, Nazar Voloshyn, spokesman for the Khortytsia operational-strategic military group, said during a television marathon that in the Kharkiv oblast, including Vovchansk, the Ukrainian soldiers managed to stabilize the situation, but it remained difficult.
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