On Tuesday, Ukraine ordered the evacuation of seven villages in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, which had previously been distant from the combat zones but now faces threats as Russian forces advance.

Russia has been attempting to penetrate this area from the adjacent Donetsk region, yet it has not managed to do so despite more than three years of intense conflict.

The local military administration declared “the mandatory evacuation of frontline areas within the Synelnykove district.”

“This decision affects three villages in the Novopavlivka community and four additional villages in the Mezhivska community,” they stated.

The village of Novopavlivka, located approximately 10 kilometers (about six miles) from the frontline, once had a population of 3,500 before the war, but now is down to around 100 residents, including two children.

“As of now, there are no Russian occupation forces in the Dnipropetrovsk region,” said Mykola Lukashuk, head of the local military administration, via Telegram. He emphasized that the Ukrainian military is actively defending this area.

On Sunday, regional Governor Serhiy Lysak reported that a Russian drone strike in Novopavlivka resulted in one casualty.

Additionally, on Friday, the regional government mandated the evacuation of families with children from villages located east of Mezhivska, which is also less than 10 kilometers from the current frontline.

Ukraine frequently announces mandatory evacuations for civilians from regions adjacent to the frontline.

Recently, Russia has intensified its aerial assaults on Ukraine while making advances at the frontline, coinciding with the United States’ efforts to facilitate a ceasefire agreement between the opposing sides.