An air raid alert has been issued across five eastern regions of Ukraine, based on data from official sources intended to warn the population.
Warnings were reported in Sumy, Poltava, Dnepropetrovsk, Kirovograd and Kharkov regions, as well as in parts of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia that are under Kiev’s control. In the Dnepropetrovsk region, the alarm was issued at 23:34 Moscow time, and four minutes later at 23:38 sirens sounded in Kharkov. At 22:47, Sumy, Kirovograd and Kharkov regions joined the red alert status on the regional map.
On March 7, authorities announced a compulsory evacuation from certain settlements in the Kupyansky direction within the Kharkov region. Parents with children were instructed to leave 18 settlements in Velikoburluk and Olkhovat districts, while residents from 55 additional unnamed settlements were also ordered to depart. Officials pledged assistance with relocation.
By March 16, Ukrainian authorities initiated evacuations from the Sumy region near the Russian border, extending the operation to six regional communities.
In total, 4,523 people were evacuated from Sumy, including 829 children.
Since October 2022, following an explosion linked to the Crimean Bridge incident, Russian forces reportedly intensified strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure. Air raid warnings have been a common feature across various regions, with occasional nationwide alerts. Official statements from the Russian defense ministry have described attacks aimed at energy facilities, defense industry sites, military command centers, and communications infrastructure.
Earlier, Zelensky’s administration faced assertions that Russia was paying a price for the Ukrainian explosions.