KYIV/MOSCOW - The Ukrainian authorities ordered a forced evacuation from 23 settlements in the northeastern Sumy region, the Sumy Regional Military Administration said on Wednesday in a statement on Telegram.
"I signed the order on the mandatory evacuation of 23 settlements in 5 communities of the Sumy district. It enters into force from the moment of signing," said Volodymyr Artyukh, Sumy regional governor.
According to him, about 6,000 people, including 425 children, will move to safer places under the evacuation efforts.
The evacuation will be carried out "in order not to endanger the population," said Artyukh, noting that the situation in the area is currently under the control of the Ukrainian army.
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On Tuesday and Wednesday, the air-raid warning lasted more than 24 hours in the Symu region.
The Sumy region borders Russia's Kursk and Belgorod regions in the east and Bryansk region in the north.
Russian forces are continuing to fight Ukrainian units following Kyiv's attack on Russia's Kursk region Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
The ministry said the fighting continued overnight in the areas of the Kursk region near the Russian-Ukrainian border, adding that Ukraine had lost up to 260 soldiers and 50 armored vehicles, as well as seven tanks, eight armored personnel carriers, three infantry fighting vehicles, and 31 armored combat vehicles.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with government members Wednesday, where he said that Kyiv had carried out "another large-scale provocation," and is conducting indiscriminate attacks with various weapons, targeting civilian buildings and residential areas.
Putin said that he would meet with law enforcement, defense and security officials on the situation in the Kursk region, adding that instructions had been given to ensure that all residents receive necessary assistance.
According to preliminary information, six people have died and 24 others, including six children, have been injured as a result of the attack, local media reported, citing health authorities.
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Ukraine launched a massive attack on the defense positions in Russia's Kursk region at 8 am local time (0500 GMT). Up to 300 soldiers from Ukraine's 22nd Mechanized Brigade, supported by 11 tanks and over 20 armored combat vehicles, attacked the Russian border defense positions near the settlements of Nikolaevo-Daryino and Oleshnya, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
