TASS, January 17. Fearing that their homes may be destroyed, residents of the Kupyansk district refuse to obey an evacuation order, issued by the authorities of the Ukraine-controlled territory of the Kharkov Region, the region’s military-civilian administration head Vitaly Ganchev has told TASS.

"The occupational government of the Kharkov Region has issued a yet another evacuation order for families with children from the Kupyansk district. According to our information, this initiative is not popular among local residents. People understand perfectly well what will happen to their homes if they leave them," Ganchev said.

In his words, the evacuation order was issued for settlements located near the Oskol River, which may indicate the Kiev government’s plans to defend these areas.

"That is why people are ordered to evacuate, so that their homes can be used as a cover," Ganchev added.

The head of the region’s military administration Oleg Sinegubov issued a mandatory evacuation order for families with children from 25 populated areas in the Kupyansk district. He promised that evacuees will be provided with lodgings and aid from international humanitarian organizations.