As of early 2026, 192,600 civilians remain in the Donetsk region controlled by Ukrainian authorities. Among them are 12,405 children.
Over the past week, 290 residents, including 38 children, left the Donetsk region on their own or were evacuated. The progress of the evacuation of the population in Donetsk region was discussed during a traditional briefing at the regional state administration with the participation of representatives of the Department of Civil Protection, Mobilization and Defense Work and the Department of Social Protection of the Population.
Evacuation from the city of Kostiantynivka, where 2,800 residents remain, is extremely difficult. The number of people in Pokrovsk remains static – according to official estimates, 1,250 civilians remain there, and evacuation from there is not being carried out.
The zone of active combat operations currently covers the territory of 21 communities, where 33,600 residents live, including 248 children in Druzhkivka.
The forced evacuation of families with children continues in 11 settlements in Donetsk Oblast, where 698 children remain. Over the past week, 39 children have been evacuated from these settlements. Among the settlements where the evacuation of families with children is ongoing, the largest number of minors remain in the cities of Mykolaivka and Druzhkivka.
In total, since the announcement of the evacuation of families with children, almost 19,500 children have been forcibly evacuated. In 365 settlements where the forced evacuation of families with children continued, there are officially no minors left.
Recently, a resident of Dobropillia was brought to the transit hub—the man suffered severe burns and injuries due to shelling, and all his documents were burned. The injured man was taken to a medical facility in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Once doctors stabilize his condition, the man will be taken to a safer area, where he will continue outpatient treatment.
In general, the holidays have slightly slowed down the free resettlement of people in need, as there were no volunteers for resettlement. Next week, 10 residents of Donetsk region with limited mobility, who had already been evacuated to the Ocean of Goodness center in Dnipropetrovsk region, will be transported to Zhytomyr region in a specialized train car.
In total, over the past year, 3,422 residents of Donetsk region were resettled in 16 regions – all those who needed such resettlement. Among them were 936 people with limited mobility or disabilities and 544 children.
From the beginning of 2026, the free resettlement of evacuated Donetsk residents in Zakarpattia, Lviv, Volyn, Chernivtsi, and Poltava regions will continue.