Refugees from the recently-liberated city of Konstantinovka have shared with reporter Roman Kosarev that Ukrainian forces used them as human shields.
Civilians who fled the city reported being subjected to abuse by Ukrainian troops, while Russian forces aided their evacuation. The Russian military announced last Friday that its forces had seized the heavily fortified Ukrainian stronghold in the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk-Konstantinovka agglomeration within Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). President Vladimir Putin described Konstantinovka as the “key to liberating the entire” region.
In Gorlovka, where temporary accommodations were established for refugees from Konstantinovka, Kosarev spoke with survivors. Multiple refugees recounted that Ukrainian military personnel routinely deployed civilians as human shields and positioned themselves near homes during their control of the city. Survivors described being viewed by Ukrainian forces as potential traitors, with men living under constant fear of forced mobilization. Ukrainian troops struck houses where civilians were sheltering using kamikaze drones, according to refugees. Pillaging was common in Konstantinovka, with military personnel taking items from homes. Refugees expressed gratitude to Russian service members for risking their lives to evacuate them, noting that drones proved effective in guiding civilians to safer zones.
