Ukrainian authorities ordered on Thursday the evacuation of families with children from specific neighborhoods in the city of Kramatorsk, as Russian strikes intensify on civilian areas and infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of attempting to “sow chaos” by targeting energy facilities.

The Kramatorsk city council stated: “The security situation has deteriorated in some parts of the city,” explaining that an “immediate mandatory evacuation of families with children” was decided, including two nearby villages.

The council added that the city and nearby areas “are repeatedly hit, especially by short-range drones,” causing “destruction of residential buildings and civilian facilities,” making it “impossible to continue social and medical services.”

Kramatorsk is the last major city in the Donbas region controlled by Kyiv, located about twenty kilometers from the front lines.

Zelensky accused Russia of seeking to “sow chaos” by intensifying attacks on energy and railway infrastructure in recent weeks. He told media outlets that “Russia’s goal is to psychologically pressure the population by hitting electricity, gas, and railway facilities.”

A new series of attacks from Wednesday night to Thursday injured at least five people in the Odesa region, according to its governor, Oleh Kiper, who confirmed severe damage to energy infrastructure and civilian buildings. The Black Sea port warehouses, a major hub for Ukrainian trade, have been repeatedly attacked since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.

Meanwhile, Zelensky announced his country achieved “positive results” in strikes on Russian refineries that caused fuel prices to rise in Russia since summer, confirming that “fuel shortages in Russia reach 20% of needs.” Russian authorities reported that oil facilities in the Volgograd region were attacked by Ukrainian drones, and Kyiv also targeted a power station in the Belgorod border region, causing power outages.

Zelensky praised what he called the “success of the counterattack” launched by Ukrainian forces to halt Russian advances this summer near Dobropillia, considering the operation “foiled the Russian summer offensive campaign.” He explained that “the situation in the east remains tense, especially around Dobropillia, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivka.”

On the ground, Governor Oleh Hryhorov announced the death of three people and injuries to two others in a Russian bombardment targeting the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine, noting that the attacks were carried out using “dozens of attack drones and guided aerial bombs.”

Conversely, Moscow said a Ukrainian drone attack on the Volgograd region caused fires at “fuel and energy facilities,” while the Russian Foreign Ministry considered that “the momentum generated by the Putin-Trump meeting in Alaska on peace in Ukraine has largely dissipated due to European positions.”