 "As Russia closes in, Ukraine battles a second front: civilian reluctance to leave")
As Russian forces press deeper into eastern Ukraine, an unexpected second battlefront has opened for Kyiv: persuading civilians to leave towns that have become increasingly uninhabitable.
The struggle between evacuation teams and residents unwilling to abandon their homes is playing out even as Ukraine enters a critical phase of diplomatic manoeuvring, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy preparing fresh peace proposals for the United States and allies.
In the battered Donetsk region, 97-year-old Kateryna Lomova embodies the dilemma facing Ukrainian authorities. Her home on the outskirts of Dobropillia is directly exposed to artillery, bombs and drones launched from barely 15 km away. Police rescuers from the White Angel evacuation unit pleaded with her to leave.
Family members called from Spain to reassure her she would be received safely abroad. Yet Lomova remained immovable. “Maybe another time, but not now,” she murmured, wrapped in layers of clothing as explosions echoed in the distance.
Dobropillia and neighbouring settlements have endured years of Russian assaults, but the danger is increasing as Moscow’s troops push forward, seeking to fulfil President Vladimir Putin’s demand that Ukraine surrender the whole of the Donbas.
The road out of the area is draped in netting to shield it from drones, the leading cause of civilian deaths near the front line. Burnt vehicles and shattered houses mark every kilometre.
Despite the intensifying threat, crews like White Angel say some residents still refuse to evacuate, often because they are elderly, sick, or have nowhere else to go. In many cases, families who previously escaped have returned to damaged villages, sometimes with tragic consequences. Gennadii Yudin of the White Angel team said children have been injured or killed after families moved back. “The parents don’t fully understand what can happen,” he said.
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View AllEarlier this week, a family gathering water near Kostiantynivka was wounded in a strike—an incident aid workers use to illustrate the increasing unpredictability of Russian attacks. Still, Lomova insisted on staying, even after her windows were blown out. Asked when she might be ready to leave, she replied simply: “Who knows when? I don’t want to leave my home.”
This grassroots reluctance complicates Ukraine’s broader strategic challenges at a moment when diplomatic pressure is rising sharply. Zelenskyy is expected to deliver new peace proposals to US negotiators as Washington pushes for an expedited settlement, one influenced by President Donald Trump’s desire for improved ties with Moscow.
Trump has publicly questioned Ukraine’s democratic legitimacy and urged Kyiv to prepare for elections within months, despite ongoing missile strikes and occupation of nearly 20% of the country.
Zelenskyy has signalled conditional openness to wartime elections, saying Ukraine could vote within 60–90 days if partners ensure security and pass emergency legal changes. But Kyiv’s negotiating space is constricting, squeezed between Russia’s insistence on territorial concessions and US pressure for a quick end to the war.
Europe is trying to reinforce Zelenskyy’s position. Leaders from Germany, France, the UK and others are coordinating via what Paris calls the “Coalition of the Willing.” Yet military aid is declining overall: foreign support for Ukraine has fallen to €32.5 billion so far this year, compared with annual averages above €41 billion earlier in the war, according to the Kiel Institute.
The gap between Ukraine’s mounting battlefield risks and shrinking international assistance underscores why every evacuation matters. As Russia grinds forward street by street, Kyiv is fighting not only to hold territory but also to convince its most vulnerable citizens that survival may depend on leaving the homes they cherish.
With inputs from agencies
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