Forced evacuation in Sumy region: 56% of residents refuse to leave their homes.

Situation in Hrabivske, Sumy region

According to ТСН: In the village of Hrabivske in the Sumy region, only those residents who have refused evacuation to safer areas of Ukraine in writing remained at the time of the arrival of Russian troops.

Vladimir Babich, Deputy Head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, reported that forced evacuation from the border areas of the Sumy region began back in 2023 and is ongoing regularly. A total of 87,500 people have already been evacuated from the border territories, including 8,700 children. However, about 32,000 people, including 604 children, still remain in these areas. All children from the 'red' and 'hot' zones have already been evacuated.

“Such a situation occurred in Hrabivske itself, where only those who refused evacuation remained. I want to emphasize that the village of Hrabivske and the Krasnopil community are located directly on the border with the Russian Federation,” said Babich.

According to him, about 56% of people in the forced evacuation zone refuse to leave their homes, despite ongoing explanatory and promotional efforts by the authorities.

Status of affairs in the region

Stabilization measures are ongoing in the Hrabivske area, conducted by the military. Representatives of the regional administration are currently not present on site.

Babich noted that evacuation occurs in 'waves': it is intensified during flare-ups of hostilities and slows down when the situation becomes relatively stable. Just over the last day, 22 people have been evacuated from the border zone of the Sumy region, including from the Krasnopil community. All of them were taken to transit centers, where they received assistance and document processing.

It should be noted that the armed forces of the Russian Federation forcibly deported about 50 civilians from Ukraine from the territory of Sumy region to Russia, which is a gross violation of international humanitarian law.

The situation in Hrabivske and the surrounding areas remains tense. Despite local authorities' efforts, many residents are hesitant to leave their homes, complicating the evacuation process. It is clear that the events in the region require attention from international institutions and an increase in humanitarian assistance for civilians caught in dangerous situations.