The head of the Luhansk regional administration Sergei Gaidai has requested citizens to evacuate immediately. He also warned that the “new Severodonetsk cemetery is getting bigger”.
“Next week may be difficult. [This] may be the last time we still have a chance to save you,” he said in a statement.
Later he said: The decision is yours. Those who take risks every day are already on the verge.”
“An empty evacuation bus is a disrespect to the lives of a police officer, rescuer, volunteer and many more,” he added.
“Have you seen the new Severodonetsk cemetery?! Getting bigger by the day... We don’t want to dig graves, we want to live and develop! Make that decision. This week can solve a lot,” he said.
Russia launched a war on Ukraine on February 24. However, according to the latest updates, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has called for more weapons, describing “every delay” as “permission for Russia to take the lives of Ukrainians”. Zelensky also claimed in the address that the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine’s south were being transferred to “the ruble zone” and subordinated to the Russian administration. Meanwhile, Ukraine has vowed that its forces will “fight to the end” in the besieged port city of Mariupol, after a Russian ultimatum for the remaining Ukrainian troops there to surrender expired. Earlier on Sunday Zelenskiy urged US president Joe Biden to visit Ukraine and reiterated that he is not willing to cede territory in the country’s east to end the war with Russia. Zelensky said he was “hopeful” Biden would make the trip.