August M
Authorities in northeastern Ukraine have begun new evacuations as pressure builds along the border with Russia. Officials say conditions are deteriorating in several frontline areas, while analysts caution that reliable information remains scarce.
Access to the border zone is limited, and the absence of public comment from Moscow has made it difficult to assess competing claims about recent fighting.
Evacuations underway
According to Reuters, Oleh Hryhorov, head of the Sumy region’s military administration, said on Telegram that residents of border villages were being relocated, including those who had previously declined to leave.
He did not specify which settlements were affected but urged civilians near the frontier to accept evacuation offers, warning that the security situation could worsen without notice.
Analysts cautious
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), in an assessment published late Saturday, said a Russian military blogger claimed Moscow’s forces had taken the village of Hrabovske, just south of Vysoke.
ISW said it had not seen independent reporting confirming developments in that area since fighting late last summer near Demidovka, in Russia’s Belgorod region northeast of Vysoke.
The think tank noted that the lack of consistent reporting from this sector has complicated efforts to determine control on the ground, notes HotNews.ro.
Military response
Dmytro Lykhovii, spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said Ukrainian units had withdrawn from several positions near Hrabovske following a Russian offensive. He said Ukrainian forces were taking steps to stabilize the situation.
Russia has not issued any public statements on the reported movements. According to Reuters, conditions along the border and the absence of official Russian comment have made independent verification challenging.
Civilians taken
Separately, the Ukrainian army said Russian forces crossed into the Sumy region during overnight fighting near Hrabovske and later transported a group of local residents into Russia. The claim was cited by Ukrainian media and Reuters.
Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne and the Ukrainska Pravda news agency reported that the incident occurred late Saturday. Ukrainian media said those taken were mainly elderly civilians, including at least one woman in her late eighties.
No information has been released by Russian authorities regarding the allegation.
Sources: Reuters, Suspilne, Ukrainska Pravda, Institute for the Study of War
