Derhachi Mayor of Derhach asks people to be ready to evacuate

AGERPRES special correspondent to Kharkov, Ukraine, Cristian Lupascu reports:

A city mayor in the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv on Friday urged people not to leave their homes on February 24, the two-year anniversary of the war.

Derhachi Mayor Vyacheslav Zadorenko announced that on Saturday all services of the local administration will be halted, including the local humanitarian centre.

"As we are approaching the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I am asking you to take maximum security measures. Unfortunately, our border community is a very convenient region for Russian provocations, since the enemy launched an attack on Kharkiv through the Derhachi district exactly two years ago. Therefore, I am urging you to refrain from visiting public places, including shops, shopping centres, pharmacies, administrative and social institutions. The Derhachi humanitarian centre and community administrative bodies will be closed on February 24," Zadorenko told AGERPRES.

Moreover, he is asking people to have their mobile phones fully charged and luggage made with essentials goods, in order to be prepared in the event of a ground attack.

The town of Derhachi, which had more than 20,000 inhabitants, is located 17 kilometres from Kharkiv, on the border with the Russian Federation.