The governor wants to evacuate 350,000 from Donetsk

The 350,000 people who remained in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine must be evacuated to save lives and facilitate the defense of cities indiscriminately bombed by Russia, according to the region’s governor Pavlo Kirilenko.

– He will decide the fate of the whole country in the Donetsk region, he says.

According to Kyrylenko, Russian artillery shelling is taking place without specific targets, rather than destroying civilian infrastructure and residential areas, according to the AP news agency.

On Tuesday, Russia escalated its attack on Slovensk with heavy artillery shelling. Local authorities said at least two people were killed and seven injured in the attacks.

“Take care of everyone”

The city’s mayor, Vadim Lyach, wrote on Facebook that the bombing was taking place in the northern parts of the city center.

He urged the city’s residents in office to “all take cover.”

The bombing of the city of Slovensk began on Sunday, when six people were killed, including a nine-year-old girl.

The neighboring town of Kramatorsk, 7.5 kilometers from Sloviansk, was also hit by several attacks. The city, the administrative center of the Donetsk region, is the regional base of the Ukrainian military headquarters.

Russia’s next target

According to the region’s governor, the cities are the next target for Russia, after the Ukrainian forces chose to withdraw from Lysetnojk in the Luhansk region, about 60 kilometers east of Sloviansk.

Governor Pavlo Kirilenko says evacuating all civilians in Donetsk will make it easier for the Ukrainian army.

When there are fewer people, we will be able to focus more on our enemy and perform our main tasks.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, it is estimated that more than 7.1 million Ukrainians have fled in Ukraine since Russia began its offensive on February 24. More than 4.8 million people fled the country.

Correction: An earlier version of the article had an incorrect number in the title.