Donetsk governor urges 250,000 to evacuate as Russian offensive advances

The governor of the eastern Ukrainian province of Donetsk is urging more than 250,000 residents to evacuate the area.

Russian troops have escalated their offensive there, just days after claiming victory in neighbouring Luhansk.

Pavlo Kyrylenko said getting the people remaining in Donetsk province out is necessary to save lives and to enable the Ukrainian army to better defend towns from the Russian advance.

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He said: "The destiny of the whole country will be decided by the Donetsk region.

"Once there are less people, we will be able to concentrate more on our enemy and perform our main tasks."

Another Donetsk city in the path of Moscow's offensive came under sustained bombardment on Tuesday.

Mayor Vadim Lyakh said on Facebook "massive shelling" pummelled Sloviansk, which had a population of about 107,000 before Russia invaded Ukraine more than four months ago.

The mayor, who told residents to evacuate just hours before, advised them to take cover in shelters.

Mr Lyakh said at least one person was killed and another seven wounded on Tuesday, as the city's central market and several districts were attacked.

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The barrage targeting Sloviansk indicated Russian forces were positioned to advance further into Ukraine's Donbas region, a mostly Russian-speaking industrial area where the country's most experienced soldiers are concentrated.

Sloviansk has suffered rocket and artillery fire during the invasion, but the assault has intensified in recent days after Russians took the last major city in Luhansk, Mr Lyakh added.

The Ukrainian military withdrew its troops on Sunday from the city of Lysychansk to keep them from being surrounded.

Russia's defence minister and Mr Putin said the city's subsequent capture put Moscow in control of all of Luhansk, one of two provinces that make up the Donbas.

The office of Ukraine's president said the Ukrainian military was still defending a small part of Luhansk and trying to buy time to establish fortified positions nearby.