Ukrainian authorities have begun mass evacuations of communities in the country\u2019s northern Sumy region close to the Russian border after extended periods of intense shelling of the area, local officials said on Friday.
\nThe 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.
\nAuthorities in Sumy have long been issuing daily reports of Russian shelling, but the attacks have intensified.
\nThe regional administration said the areas in question were \u201cthe most tense\u201d in Sumy region, with three people killed and 13 wounded over the past five days.
\nThe administration said a total of more than 4,500 residents had been evacuated from 22 villages in Sumy region, but gave no time frame.
\nVelikopysarska is located a few kilometres from the village of Kozinka across the border in Russia \u2013 where local authorities this week said an incursion by armed groups caused considerable damage. The groups described themselves as being made up of Russians opposed to the Kremlin and said they were conducting a military operation in the area.
\nThe governor of Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said shelling of areas under his jurisdiction continued on Thursday, with one person injured. Gladkov toured border areas late on Wednesday and said there were no enemy forces in the region.
\nThe governor of the neighbouring Russian region of Kursk, Roman Starovoit, said air defence units had downed three Ukrainian drones on Thursday night.
\nReuters was unable to verify accounts of military activity from either side.
\n(Reuters)shelling. mass evacuations, intense shelling, Russian border<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ukrainian authorities have initiated mass evacuations in the Sumy region near the Russian border due to prolonged intense shelling, evacuating over 180 residents from areas near the Velikopysarska community in the past three days. The region has experienced increased Russian shelling, with three people killed and 13 wounded in the most tense areas over five days. A total of more than 4,500 residents from 22 villages in the Sumy region have been evacuated. Additionally, armed groups, claiming to be Russians opposed to the Kremlin, reportedly caused considerable damage in Kozinka, Russia, near Velikopysarska. The governor of Belgorod region reported continued shelling with one injury, while the governor of Kursk region mentioned the downing of three Ukrainian drones.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1234,2028,3,1232,572,2222,148,2221,19,2223,17,1180,293,18],"class_list":["post-4431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cyprus","tag-attacks","tag-belgorod-region","tag-cyprus","tag-drones","tag-injury","tag-intense-shelling","tag-local","tag-mass-evacuations","tag-russia","tag-russian-border","tag-ukraine","tag-ukrainian","tag-war","tag-world"],"acf":{"keyphrase":"","keywords":"","sourceimg":"","country-category":""},"yoast_head":"\n