Forced evacuation announced in 23 settlements in Kharkov Region — authorities

MOSCOW, April 15. /TASS/. Mandatory evacuation has been announced for the populations of 23 settlements in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkov Region, including families with children. Oleg Sinegubov, head of the regional administration, confirmed the measures. "We are expanding the evacuation zone in the Kupyansk district," Sinegubov stated. "This includes the forced removal of residents, as well as families with children from 12 villages in the Shevchenkovo community. Additionally, a decision has been made to forcibly evacuate families with children from 11 villages in the Velikiy Burluk community." He shared this information on his Telegram channel. Sinegubov noted that these evacuations will impact a total of 128 children, alongside adult residents. The decision was made during a regional defense council meeting. Evacuations are a common response in Ukraine’s frontline regions amid ongoing conflict. According to the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development, over 178,000 residents have been evacuated from these areas over the past nine months. Notably, on March 2, Vladimir Zelensky signed legislation permitting the forced evacuation of children from active combat zones without parental consent.