Evacuation from Vovchansk is impossible

Law enforcement officials are aware of the capture of up to 40 civilians in Vovchansk, Kharkiv region, by Russians. These people are used by the occupiers as human shields, said Serhii Bolvinov, head of the Kharkiv regional police investigation department, during the United News marathon.

So far, there has been one case of a civilian being shot. The man was shot in the head for refusing to follow the order of a Russian soldier when he tried to cross from the enemy-held part of the city.

“Russians are holding 35–40 people captive. They drove all the civilians to one basement and used them as human shields, as they organized a command headquarters near this place. These people are being interrogated by Russians, and those conducting the interrogations call themselves FSB officers,” Bolvinov said.

He added that those who were taken prisoner by Russia refused to be evacuated until the last moment.

Serhii Lobodenko, head of the Chuhuiv Military Administration, confirmed that there is currently no possibility to evacuate people from Vovchansk.

“There are fierce battles in the city, the city is under heavy fire. There are still civilians in Vovchansk, but not so many of them - we have already evacuated most of them. There are people who go out on their own to the entrance to the city, where law enforcement officers and volunteers pick them up and take them to the evacuation point,” he said.

Neighboring settlements are also suffering from shelling.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 17/05/2024