Forced evacuation of families with children continues in frontline villages of Dnipropetrovsk region

In recent months, the situation in certain communities of Dnipropetrovsk region, especially on the border with Donetsk region and Zaporizhzhia region, has increasingly resembled a war zone. In particular, Russian troops regularly bombard the territories of the Synelnyk district, using both artillery and kamikaze drones, as well as volley fire systems. In these conditions, families with children are especially vulnerable, but not all parents are ready to leave their homes even under direct threat to their lives. Because of this, there is both voluntary and forced evacuation in the region.

For data of the regional military administration, as of the end of April 2025, mandatory evacuation was introduced in several front-line villages of the Dnipropetrovsk region, in particular, in four settlements of the Mezhiv community (Kolona Mezhova, Novopidgorodne, Raipole, Sukhareva Balka) and three villages of the Novopavliv community. The authorities identified these areas as dangerous for the civilian population, especially children, and obliged all families with minors to leave these settlements.

According to the Deputy Chief of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, Ivan Nachovnyi, at the time of the introduction of forced evacuation, 26 children were in high-danger zones. Despite the active information work and the assistance provided, some families initially refused to leave, exposing the children to a serious threat. However, by May 11, all minors from these villages were taken to safer areas of the region.

The operation was centralized: families were provided with transportation, departure dates and routes were coordinated, and they were registered at a special assembly point in Mezhova. At the same time, each family received a full package of social support — payments, temporary housing, and humanitarian aid at their new place of residence.

According to the officials, the decision on mandatory evacuation is made in cases where the duration of shelling, the density of attacks and the proximity to the front line do not make it possible to guarantee the basic safety of children. In some cases, there is not only a direct threat to life, but also the complete destruction of civil infrastructure — the absence of medical facilities, transport, communications, and electricity.

Despite the obvious danger, some parents traditionally resist evacuation, perceiving it as a loss of home, community, sources of income or simply as an imposition of will by the authorities. This is a psychologically understandable phenomenon, especially for older people or those who have already experienced evacuations in 2014-2015. However, legally and morally, the Ukrainian state clearly stands on the priority position of children’s safety. Refusal to evacuate can be considered as creating a threat to the life of a minor, and in exceptional cases – as a reason for the intervention of guardianship authorities.

Voluntary evacuation from the Synelniky district is currently underway. All those willing can leave the risk zone with the support of local authorities. Evacuation is coordinated through special headquarters, and transportation is provided upon prior approval of the departure date. It is important to emphasize: we are not talking about deportation or resettlement, but rather a temporary measure to protect the lives of children and civilians in conditions of active hostilities nearby.

Sinelnykiv region remains one of those territories that are under constant threat of enemy attacks. That is why the issue of timely evacuation from these areas is not only administrative or humanitarian — it is a matter of saving human life.