Authorities in Sumy, a region in northeastern Ukraine bordering Russia, have announced the mandatory evacuation of eleven villages due to "bombardments," as Kiev fears a Russian offensive in the area.
A new night of attacks has left two dead, including a 9-year-old girl, in southern Ukraine, in the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia, from guided bombs.
On the Russian side, ten people were injured in Ukrainian drone attacks in the Kursk region during the same night.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, spoke last night with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, about possible talks with Moscow. "We both agree that this meeting cannot and should not be a waste of time," he said after the conversation.
Moscow has offered Kiev to meet again for direct talks on Monday in Istanbul, after an unsuccessful first meeting on May 16.
"We need a ceasefire to continue moving towards peace. We have to stop killing people. We have discussed a possible upcoming meeting in Istanbul and the conditions under which Ukraine is willing to participate," Zelensky wrote.
Russia intensifies offensive in Zaporizhia and increases pressure on Sumy
The Russian army has significantly intensified its offensive in the Zaporizhia front and has focused its efforts on the border area of the Sumy region, reported on Saturday the Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Sirsky, in his May report.
"The defense forces continue to hold back the enemy, inflicting significant losses. The enemy has concentrated its main efforts in the directions of Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Liman, Novopavlivka, as well as in the border areas with the Russian Federation in the Sumy region," he stated.
"The enemy has significantly intensified its activity in the Zaporizhia sector, where it is conducting active offensive operations," he indicated on his Facebook account. He added that the military command is taking measures to increase the defense resistance of Ukrainian troops by reinforcing threatened areas with reserves.
"In particular, we are taking active measures to improve the tactical situation, including in the territory of the aggressor country. We are destroying the enemy as much as possible in the approach to our positions," he emphasized. Additionally, he noted that "only in May, up to the 31st, the Russian occupiers lost more than 34,000 personnel."
Zelensky says Russia is "undermining diplomacy" by withholding the memorandum
Andrii Yermak, a senior advisor to the President of Ukraine, said on Friday that Kiev was ready to resume direct peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday, but pointed out that the Kremlin should provide a promised memorandum outlining its position on ending the war, which has been ongoing for over three years, before the delegations sit down to negotiate.
In a message on Friday night, Zelensky said that Russia was "undermining diplomacy" by withholding the document, as reported by Ap.
"For some reason, the Russians are hiding this document. This is a completely strange position. There is no clarity on the format," the president wrote on Telegram.
Moscow had previously stated that it would share its memorandum during the talks.
Authorities in the Ukrainian region of Sumy, in the northeast of the country and bordering Russia, ordered the evacuation of eleven more settlements due to the Russian threat to the civilian population, as reported on Saturday by the regional military administration.
"I signed an order for the mandatory evacuation of residents from 11 more settlements in the Sumy district. The decision was made in view of the constant threat to the lives of civilians as a result of the bombardments of the border communities," wrote the head of the regional military administration, Oleg Grigorov, on his Facebook account.
The evacuation will be carried out from the settlements of Gorobivka, Shtanivka, Voronivka, Yanchenki, Tsimbalivka, Shkurativka, Krovne, Mikolayivka, Rudnivka, Spaske, and Kapitanivka, and all individuals in need will be provided with transportation, humanitarian aid, temporary accommodation, and social benefits, as reported by Efe.
"We urge residents not to delay the decision to evacuate. Remaining in a constantly dangerous area is a direct threat to your life and health," he insisted, emphasizing: "The enemy continues to terrorize the border, and our common task is to save everyone's life."
It was specified that as of today, 213 settlements in the Sumy region are subject to mandatory evacuation.
Earlier this week, over 500 residents were evacuated from border areas of the region.
Russian army advances in creating a scurity zne bytaking a locality in Sumy
The Russian army advanced today in creating a security zone in the Ukrainian region of Sumy (North) by taking another locality, as reported by Efe.
According to the war report from the Ministry of Defense, units of the military group Sever captured the village of Vodolagui.
Vodolagui, a village that had about 150 inhabitants before the war, is located a few kilometers from the border with Russia.
Russian troops also attacked positions in several localities in Sumy and the neighboring region of Kharkiv, whose territory would also be part of that security strip that Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced to protect the Russian border regions from Ukrainian artillery. Russian Army Advances in Creating a Security Zone by Taking Another Locality in Sumy
Ukraine orders evacuation of eleven villages in Sumy region
Authorities in Sumy, a region in northeastern Ukraine bordering Russia, announced on Saturday the mandatory evacuation of eleven villages due to "bombardments," as Kiev fears a Russian offensive in the area.
"This decision has been made in view of the constant threat to the lives of civilians as a result of the bombardments of the border communities," declared the regional administration of Sumy.
Russia has claimed the capture of villages in the area in recent weeks, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of concentrating troops on the border to prepare for an offensive.