Russians enter border village in Sumy Oblast and deport more than 50 Ukrainian civilians (updated)
Kordon.Media journalists claim that there were civilian residents in the village who had previously signed refusals to evacuate. As Kordon.Media learned, this concerns slightly more than fifty citizens of Ukraine who were taken to the territory of the Russian Federation to conduct so-called “filtration measures.”
According to the spokesperson, Ukrainian defense forces withdrew from several positions near Hrabovske as a result of the Russian offensive. Stabilization measures are currently underway in the area.
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On December 22, President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, clarified that there were 52 people, including children, in the village.
“I am simply shocked that parents would treat their children this way. The 52 people who lived there had some dialogue with border guards in the Russian Federation. I think they simply did not expect the Russian military to take them. Thirteen of our military personnel are also in captivity,” Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted Zelenskyy as saying during an event on the occasion of the Diplomatic Service Day in Kyiv.
Law enforcement agencies launched an investigation into the forced deportation of civilians, while the Ukrainian Armed Forces regard these actions as a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
The military also urged residents of border areas to evacuate. The Sumy Oblast authorities have organized the evacuation process, with more than 30,000 people evacuated, while almost 5,700 others, including 38 children, have refused to leave, Lykhovii added.
