Ukraine orders evacuations amid Russian offensive and Trump-Putin talks
In Kramatorsk, a city in eastern Ukraine, officials have ordered families with children to evacuate surrounding towns and villages as Russian forces intensify their offensive.
(NBC)- In Kramatorsk, a city in eastern Ukraine, officials have ordered families with children to evacuate surrounding towns and villages as Russian forces intensify their offensive.
The order follows a deadly strike two weeks ago in which a Russian attack destroyed an apartment building in the city, killing several civilians. Ukrainian authorities say similar assaults are happening daily across the country.
The evacuation comes as Ukrainians express deep concern over a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Many fear the talks could shape Ukraine’s future without any Ukrainian representation and worry that Putin will evade accountability for the destruction and deaths caused by Russia’s ongoing campaign.
NBC News correspondent Richard Engel, reporting from Kramatorsk, said Ukrainian officials and soldiers he spoke with have one key message for the U.S. president: “Don’t take Vladimir Putin at his word.”
