Ukrainian authorities launch mass evacuation in northern region

Ukrainian authorities have begun mass evacuations of communities in the country’s northern Sumy region close to the Russian border after extended periods of intense shelling of the area, local officials said on Friday.
The military administration of Sumy region, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said more than 180 residents of areas near the Velikopysarska community, next to the border, had been evacuated over the past three days.
Authorities in Sumy have long been issuing daily reports of Russian shelling, but the attacks have intensified.
The regional administration said the areas in question were “the most tense” in Sumy region, with three people killed and 13 wounded over the past five days.
The administration said a total of more than 4,500 residents had been evacuated from 22 villages in Sumy region, but gave no time frame.