KYIV — Ukrainian forces withdrew from several villages in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to the Southern Defence Forces.

Kyiv troops retreated from Rivnopillia to "defensible positions to safeguard the lives of their personnel," the military command said, adding that the advance of the Russian forces in this sector has been halted amid ongoing heavy fighting along the line.

In the Oleksandrivka and Huliaipole sectors, the Russian army continues mass strikes and has stepped up assault operations near the settlements of Pryvilne, Zelenyi Hai, Rivnopillia, Pavlivka, Vorone, Stepove and Novopavlivske.

Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on Tuesday that the situation has "significantly worsened" in eastern parts of the region amid fierce fighting with Russian forces.

"The situation has significantly worsened in the Oleksandrivka and Huliapole directions, where, using its numerical superiority in personnel and materiel, the enemy advanced in fierce fighting and captured three settlements," he wrote on Telegram.

According to Syrskyi, Russian forces are using weather conditions – thick fog – to infiltrate between our Ukrainian positions.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities have announced a mandatory evacuation of families with children from the village of Malokaterynivka in the region.

"We ask residents to show understanding regarding this decision, not to delay and to follow instructions from the relevant services. Your safety is our highest priority."

Organised evacuation is also under way in the frontline town of Huliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region's east.

The head of the Huliaipole Military Administration said fewer than 500 people remain in the town of some 12,800 before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.Euronews