Russia hits evacuation convoy from Bakhmut, elderly woman killed

During the evacuation of five residents of Bakhmut to a safe place, the Russian troops opened fire on the evacuation crews. An elderly woman died, four other people were saved.

Source: Ruslan Osypenko, Chief of Donetsk Oblast Police, on the website of the police department in Donetsk Oblast

Details: According to him, the civilians were hiding in a basement in the active fighting zone and were on the verge of exhaustion. The whole group consisted of approximately 20 people. The building where they took shelter was very close to the front line.

The police, together with the military, the State Emergency Service and the Oblast State Administration developed and carried out a complex operation to rescue them.

Quote: "The road is extremely dangerous; everything works against us in this area – artillery, MLRS, mortars, ATGMs [anti-tank guided missiles – ed.]. That is why we chose the nighttime to evacuate people with the least risk, and the route was worked out together with the Armed Forces."

More details: Osypenko said the military picked people up on special vehicles and handed them over to the police at a specified location. People were taken out of the battle line in separate groups. It was possible to evacuate only five people who were in the shelter at the time; the location of the others is unknown.

On the way, the Russians opened fire on the evacuation crew. An elderly woman was killed in front of her son; the rest of the people were not injured.

Quote: "Four men who lived in this shelter for at least a month were brought to a safe place. Their families were evacuated earlier. Almost all of their homes were destroyed. People ate from a stock of supplies, lost [a lot of] weight."

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