President Zelensky calls for the evacuation of the Donetsk region, the main theater of fighting in the east of the country

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday July 30 called on the population to evacuate the Donetsk region in the east of the country, whose cities are the target of bombardments by Russian forces, in a speech broadcast on social networks. “In the Donbass, there are hundreds of thousands of people, tens of thousands of children in the areas where the fighting is most violent. Many refuse to leave. But it really has to be done.”

“A government decision has been made on the mandatory evacuation of the Donetsk region”says the Ukrainian president. “Please evacuate”he added. “At this stage of the war, terror is Russia’s main weapon.” Hence the government decision to evacuate this area: “We are not Russia precisely because every life is important to us. And we will use every available opportunity to save as many lives as possible and to limit Russian terror as much as possible.”

According to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchukquoted by the public media Suspilne, this measure will be effective before the heating season (understand, autumn, when temperatures drop). She had justified this decision, in declarations on television, by the destruction of the gas networks and the absence of heating next winter in the region.

Mandatory evacuation of the population is planned in the #Donetsk region before the heating season. People will have an opportunity to refuse to leave, confirming that they understand the consequences of their decision, Deputy Prime Minister Vereshchuk said.#Ukraine

— SUSPILNE NEWS (@suspilne_news) July 30, 2022