Some Ukrainians Caught In Crosshairs Of War

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine (AP) – As a Russian offensive intensifies in eastern Ukraine, authorities there are urging residents to evacuate for other, safer cities and towns in the west of the country. And yet, there are still people who refuse to leave. Many of them are pensioners living alone. Some say they don’t earn enough money to support themselves away from home. Others have more complex reasons, including a dislike of the current government in Kyiv or believing that life under a Russian flag won’t be much different than it is now. Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko has urged residents to evacuate, saying it would allow the Ukrainian army to better defend towns. He added that about 80% of the region had left by Monday.