Ukrainian authorities announced today new mandatory evacuations in the eastern region of Donetsk, urging families with children to leave the area as Russian forces continue their relentless advance.

This announcement follows a similar decision made yesterday, Thursday, by the authorities in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine, highlighting the dire situation faced by the Ukrainian military, which is losing ground daily after three years of Russian invasion.

“We have decided to begin the mandatory evacuation of families with children” from 25 small localities near the city of Pokrovsk, the main target of the Russian military in this region, as well as from the vicinity of the village of Komar, further south,” stated the governor of the Donetsk region on Telegram.

A total of 110 children remain in this sector, clarified Governor Vadym Filashkin.

“Today, as the enemy has intensified the shelling of the Donetsk region, with people suffering and dying every day, I urge parents to take the (evacuation order) very seriously,” the governor emphasized in his statement.

“Children must live in peace and tranquility, not hide from shelling,” he added.

Russian forces, better equipped and significantly outnumbering the Ukrainian troops, have been advancing steadily on the eastern front for over a year now, with their progress accelerating considerably since last autumn.