Ukraine seeks to evacuate eastern region of Donetsk before winter bites

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, in charge of negotiating prisoner swaps and humanitarian corridors with Russia, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Kyiv, Ukraine April 11, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine aims to evacuate two thirds of residents from areas it controls in the eastern battleground region of Donetsk before winter, partly out of concern people won't be able to stay warm amid war-damaged infrastructure, the deputy prime minister said on Thursday.

The government plans to evacuate some 220,000 people out of around 350,000, including 52,000 children, Iryna Vereshchuk told a news conference.