About 4,000 people refuse evacuation from Sumy border areas, regional authorities say

This was reported on Telegram by Head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Oleh Hryhorov, as cited by Ukrinform.

"In the border areas, the security situation is dynamic – safe evacuation may be difficult. That’s why timely decisions about evacuation from the border areas are critically important," he said.

According to Hryhorov, over 16,000 residents were subject to evacuation from the five-kilometer border zone in the Sumy region, and most have chosen to leave.

"However, about 4,000 people in these areas are still refusing to evacuate," he added.

The largest share of residents who have not yet dared to evacuate are in the communities of the Shostka district.

As Ukrinform reported, evacuation from border communities in the Sumy region has been ongoing since 2023 as a systematic and preventive measure to protect civilian lives. On December 20, armored vehicles were used to evacuate residents from Krasnopillia community who had previously refused to leave.

Photo: Ministry for Development of Territories and Communities