Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram Monday that over 5,700 people had been evacuated so far, as Russian troops captured at least nine settlements and villages after surging across the border on May 10, Moscow Times reported.
The Kharkiv region, home to Ukraine’s second-largest city, has faced regular shelling throughout the war and much of the population had already fled prior to the latest offensive.
Local authorities and volunteers are working to evacuate remaining residents from villages under heavy shelling, while the Ukrainian military, stretched thin and facing ammunition shortages, has struggled to respond to the offensive.
SD/PR