Evacuation of civilians starts in Kyiv region - head of regional military administration

KYIV. March 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) - The evacuation of civilians from populated areas in the Kyiv region via a humanitarian corridor has been started, and the first columns of vehicles are heading there, head of the Kyiv regional military administration Oleksiy Kuleba said.

"We have an agreement on the following towns: Irpin, Bucha, Hostomel, Borodyanka, and Vorzel," Kuleba said in a video address on Telegram.

The first columns have already departed, Kuleba said. "A column is now departing for Bucha. I do hope that everything will be fine and we will collect all of our people," he said.

Due to the absence of electricity supply and mobile communication in said populated areas, the Ukrainian State Service for Emergency Situations has assumed the duty to notify the population about evacuation, he said.