The evacuation of civilians continued on Wednesday (07.06.2022) in the Ukrainian city of Sloviansk in the face of the advance of Russian forces, who seek to conquer the entire Donbas mining basin, in the east of the country, after the authorities urged their residents to leave their homes and protect their lives.
The city, which before the war had 100,000 inhabitants, has been the target of massive Russian bombing for several days. Journalists witnessed on Tuesday the fall of several rockets on the city market and on adjacent streets, where firefighters multiplied interventions to put out the fires. The part of the market that was not damaged continued to function and serve customers.
“I will liquidate what is left and that’s it, and we will stay at home. We have cellars, we will hide there. What can we do? We have nowhere to go, no one needs us,” said Galyna Vasyliivna, a fruit and vegetable vendor, 72 years old.
Sloviansk Mayor Vadym Lyaj said there were still some 23,000 people left in the city, but maintained the Russians had failed to encircle the township.
“The evacuation is underway. We are taking people out every day. There are about 23,000 residents left. Many were evacuated by bus to Dnipro, further west,” he explained. “The city is well fortified. Russia can’t advance,” she said.
“Russia has turned the entire Donetsk region into a dangerous hot spot for civilians,” Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram. “I call everyone to evacuate! Evacuation saves lives,” he added.
In Slovyansk, which is reportedly among Moscow’s main targets in Donestsk, Mayor Vadym Lyaj said buses and trains were ready to transport civilians to the west of the country. “Don’t take any chances! Pack your bags.” Lyaj said.
Early on Wednesday, the Ukrainian military reported that it had repelled Russian attacks near Lisichansk and “inflicted significant losses on the enemy”, but the information could not be independently verified.
gs (afp, dpa)