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Ukraine Evacuates 2000 Residents Including 500 Children From Southern Frontlines in 2026
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Since the beginning of 2026, approximately 2,000 residents have been evacuated from frontline territories in southern Ukraine. This figure includes nearly 500 children and 32 individuals with limited mobility.
The data was disclosed by Oksana Kozyrenko, the Head of the Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Department of Operational Command South, during an interview with Ukrinform on May 5.
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“The approximate number is about 2,000 people, of whom almost 500 are children and 32 are persons with limited mobility,” she stated.
Kozyrenko clarified that, in accordance with national legislation, evacuations are formally executed by government authorities. However, CIMIC units provide critical operational support, particularly when civilian services are unable to access specific settlements.
In such instances, military personnel transport residents via secure routes to designated locations where they are met by government-provided transportation.
Regarding the specific frequency of these operations over the past month, Kozyrenko noted that cumulative statistics for that period are unavailable because the process remains continuous.
“From settlements where evacuation has been announced, or where it has not yet been announced but the enemy is already carrying out intensive shelling, evacuation is carried out by road or rail transport through the authorities,” Kozyrenko explained.
However, Russia often disrupts Ukraine’s evacuation efforts. Last year, Russian drone attack on an evacuation bus near Bilopillia in Ukraine’s Sumy region resulted in the deaths of nine civilians and left at least four others wounded.
Local community leader Yurii Zarko reported that the vehicle was targeted by a Lancet loitering munition, which was directed by a reconnaissance UAV, as it was transporting residents away from the city. The strike took place at approximately 6:17 a.m. shortly after the bus had left Bilopillia for Sumy.
According to the Sumy Regional Military Administration, the bus was traveling along a standard evacuation route established to move civilians out of frontline areas adjacent to the Russian border. Images from the scene following the strike show the vehicle severely destroyed.
The dangers facing such humanitarian and emergency efforts were highlighted on On May 5, Russian overnight assault involving missiles and drones in Ukraine's Poltava region resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including three emergency workers who were targeted in a secondary strike while responding to the initial scene.
Vitalii Dyakovnych, the head of the regional military administration, reported the incident, noting that dozens of others were injured in the attack.
The strikes hit two separate sites within the Poltava district, causing significant damage to railway infrastructure and an industrial plant. According to Naftogaz, Ukraine’s primary national oil and gas entity, the destruction left 3,480 households without gas and resulted in at least 37 injuries.
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