About 100 per day are evacuated from left bank of Oskil River in Kupiansk direction

UKRAINE, KHARKIV REGION, Sep 27 — On average, about 100 people are evacuated from the left bank of the Oskil River in Kharkiv Oblast every day, but even that pace isn’t enough to evacuate all people living there quickly, said Oleh Ivanov, the manager of the department for protection and safety in the charity “Coordination humanitarian center” during today’s briefing. 

During the summer of 2024, Russian troops started to advance further within the southeast section of the Kupiansk direction in the Khariv region, recently gaining more and more ground in the direction of the Oskil River and trying to split up Ukraine’s forces in the area. Currently, fierce fighting is ongoing there. 

“This direction is incredibly complex logistically,” Ivanov said, referring to the constant Russian attacks on this part of the Russian region. “But, many people still remain there [on the left bank of Oskil River — ed.], and not all of them want to evacuate.” 

Ivanov added that about 1,000 to 3,500 thousand people could be living on the left bank of Oskil, though accurate numbers are impossible to establish. Hundred people per day isn’t a pace that is quick enough for evacuation, he believes, saying that it’s unknown how long Ukraine will still have access to the left bank. 

Oleksandr Kutiepov, representative of the Red Cross in the Kharkiv Oblast, recalled that on September 25, the volunteer car that evacuated people got damaged by shrapnel in the aftermath of the Russian attack. 

“Luckily, no one was injured. They managed to reach the right bank,” Kutiepov said, noting that despite the danger, it’s still sometimes difficult to convince people to leave. 

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