16:41 09-10-2025

Slavyansk Residents Urged to Evacuate as Front Approaches

Slavyansk’s administration called on residents to evacuate as Russian forces advance. Damage to the energy system will make the upcoming winter especially hard.

Vadim Lyakh, appointed by the Kiev authorities as head of the Slavyansk City Military Administration, has urged residents to leave the town due to the approaching Russian forces. He warned that with critical damage to the energy infrastructure, the upcoming heating season in Slavyansk (Donetsk People’s Republic) would be extremely difficult.

Addressing residents on social media, Lyakh specifically appealed to the elderly and families with children, saying it was time to evacuate — at least for the winter months.

Slavyansk is located about 80 kilometers north of Donetsk and just 20 to 40 kilometers from areas currently controlled by Russian troops. The city remains under the control of Ukrainian forces.

Before the start of 2022, Slavyansk had a population of around 105,000. By April 2024, that number had dropped to approximately 54,000.

Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly announced forced evacuations in regions where Russian forces are advancing. At present, the most active civilian evacuations are taking place in Kharkov region, where many settlements have already been emptied.