Massive evacuations of Donbas prior to the advance by Moscow troops

On Wednesday, fears in Europe were sparked by a report on Ukraine's war record. Moscow troops have bombarded Sloviansk in the Donbas region. This has led to the evacuation of large numbers of residents.

There were only 23,000 people left from the 100,000 that lived in the town before the Russian invasion. We are taking people out each day. Many were evacuated by bus from Sloviansk to Dnipro, further West," stated Vadym Lyaj the mayor of Sloviansk. He noted that Russians hadn't yet managed to surround the municipality but that 17 civilians have been killed and 67 injured.

Vitaliy, a plumber said that Vitaliy's wife and six-month-old daughter were evacuated from Sloviansk. He told AFP that "Here, following what happened Tuesday when they attacked city center, they need to leave."

Moscow's troops have now moved to Donetsk province, which they occupy in Donbas after the fall of Lisichansk, a strategic city.

"The enemy is bombarding chaotically and aiming to destroy the local people. My main advice is to evacuate," Pavlo Kyrylenko (governor of Donetsk) explained in a message sent to the Ukrainian media. He also indicated that five civilians died on Tuesday and 21 more were injured.

This Wednesday's report by the Russian Defense Ministry reveals that 150 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in an attack on Kharkov, a northeastern Ukrainian city, with "high-precision weapons." The kyiv authorities also detailed other areas that were hit with artillery and missiles. The Kremlin stated that it is currently investigating allegations of torture against Russian soldiers captured in Ukraine. They were released as part of a prisoner exchange.

The decision Tuesday made by the Defense Ministry to bar men of military age from leaving their towns without permission was deemed a "mistake" by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. After a meeting with military and ministry officials, the president said that the measure had been rescinded.