Evacuations of civilians continue on both sides of the border between Russia and Ukraine, following the offensive initiated by the Ukrainian authorities in the Kursk region.
On Monday, people of all ages, some with children, were forced to flee the town of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, where the Russian army was advancing rapidly.
According to local authorities, the pace of Russian advances on the territory forced families to leave the area, on the orders of the Ukrainian authorities, as of Tuesday.
About 53,000 people live in Pokrovsk, according to official figures. Departing civilians boarded trains and buses, often with only a suitcase for luggage.
On the Russian side, more than 121,000 civilians have left the border areas of the Kursk region since the start of the Ukrainian incursion, according to Russian authorities.
The province currently has 84 temporary accommodation centres, and civilians have also been evacuated to other areas of the territory.
On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the incursion into Russia’s Kursk region was aimed at creating a buffer zone to prevent further attacks from Moscow across the border.
