Who Would Have Defended the Country? Zelensky Explains Why There Was No Mass Evacuation of Civilians

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that he decided against a mass evacuation of civilians from cities in order to maintain the motivation of Ukrainian soldiers defending the country. He made this remark during a television marathon today, as reported by TASS.

Zelensky noted that he had been offered a "large global evacuation."

"And who would have defended the country at that time? Do you think that only armed soldiers should handle this? Don't they have wives and children? They have parents and families. What motivates them on the battlefield?" said the Ukrainian leader.

Zelensky also added that he does not view Ukrainian residents as a "living shield." Earlier, the Ukrainian president stated that he trusts the assurances of U.S. authorities, stating that Washington is not engaged in negotiations regarding Ukraine without Kyiv's participation.

On November 15, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office, reported that over 90 missiles had been fired towards Ukraine, resulting in damage to 15 energy infrastructure facilities in various regions of the country. On October 10, the Russian armed forces began striking Ukraine's military and energy facilities in response to an explosion on the Crimean Bridge.

Currently, the special operation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continues in Ukraine, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24.