(Reuters) -Local authorities in Ukraine on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of families from dozens of villages near the all-but-destroyed northeastern city of Kupiansk, citing the “deteriorating security situation” in a region that has suffered heavy Russian attacks.
Oleh Syniehubov, governor of the northeastern Kharkiv region, wrote on Telegram that a total of 409 families with 601 children were told to leave 27 places.
Another official in the affected area later told public broadcaster Suspilne that the list of places to be evacuated by families had been expanded to 40.
For months, Russian forces have attacked and advanced on the city of Kupiansk, which is seen as a key target in their westward advance through central and eastern Ukraine in the more than 3.5-year war.
The city was initially captured by Russian forces in the first weeks of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but Kiev's forces recaptured the city later that year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that Ukrainian troops are defending key frontline areas, including Kupiansk. He has also spoken in recent days about a Ukrainian counter-offensive near the town of Dobropillia, further south.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told senior officers last week that Moscow's forces had the strategic advantage in frontline areas. Ukraine's top military officer, Oleksander Syrskyi, estimates that the front line extends over 1,200 km (775 miles).
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Sonali Paul)
