The list of territories covered by the status of "territories of possible combat operations" has been expanded in the Chernihiv region. According to a Telegram message from Vyacheslav Chaus, head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, the corresponding decision was formalized by Order No. 1389 of the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine. As the publication notes, citing the RMA, the status has been granted to five more communities in the region, two of which are included in the list only partially. The decision was initiated by the regional military administration itself, which submitted the proposal following direct appeals from the communities.

Which communities received the status

The Holminska, Beresianska and Sednevska communities were fully included in the list of territories of possible combat operations. As for the Tupychevska and Sosnytska communities, the status applies only to certain parts of their territory, not to the entire administrative unit. Thus, the approach to granting the status is differentiated: it may cover either the whole community or its fragments, depending on the specific situation.

Legal basis and procedure

The formal basis for granting the status was Order No. 1389 of the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories. The possibility of being included in the list is linked to amendments to a government decree, under which communities located within 30 km of territories where active combat operations are taking place may be added to the list. It is precisely this distance criterion that determines which settlements and communities are considered potentially front-line from an administrative accounting standpoint.

Practical significance of the status

The status of a territory of possible combat operations carries not only formal but also practical significance. It is taken into account when applying the state support mechanisms provided for by law. In particular, this refers to preferential measures, compensation and certain payments for agricultural producers, as well as other measures established for such territories. For residents and economic actors, this means access to additional support tools tied specifically to the front-line status.

Contradictory data

It is important here to note the inconsistency present in the overall picture of events. On the one hand, the list of territories of possible combat operations is being expanded, and in August the Main Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine warned that Russia could use the Chernihiv direction for demonstrative actions to force Ukraine to redeploy additional forces there. On the other hand, border guards have not recorded any attempts by Russian troops to cross the state border or any activity by sabotage and reconnaissance groups. In other words, the expansion of the administrative status is ahead of recorded border activity and is of a preventive rather than reactive nature. Both versions — the warning about possible demonstrative activity and the absence of recorded border violations — coexist simultaneously in official statements.

What comes next

Work on updating the list, according to the head of the region, is ongoing. Up next, as Chaus noted, are the Ponornitska and Minska communities. This indicates that the expansion of the list of territories of possible combat operations in the Chernihiv region is not a one-off measure but is being carried out in stages as appeals from communities come in and the situation is assessed.