In a late-night speech, Zelensky also said the hundreds of thousands of people still in combat zones in the wider Donbas region must leave. “The more people leave the Donetsk region now, the fewer people the Russian army will have to kill,” he said, adding that residents would receive compensation. Separately, domestic Ukrainian media quoted Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk as saying the evacuation had to take place before winter sets in, as the region’s natural gas reserves had been depleted. Zelensky said hundreds of thousands of people still live in areas of Donbas where fighting has been fierce. “Many refuse to leave, but it still has to be done,” he said. “If you have a chance, please talk to those who still remain in the battle zones in Donbas. Please convince them that it is necessary to leave.”