Russian troops capture civilians amid heavy fighting in Ukraine

Russian soldiers have taken civilians from the city of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region into captivity, where fierce battles are currently taking place, Ihor Klymenko, the Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs, reported.

As Klymenko reported on his Telegram channel, in the northern part of Vovchansk, where intense military actions are currently ongoing, Russian armed forces are capturing civilians.

The minister noted that despite all the dangers and shelling, the Ukrainian police continued to evacuate people from this area, where evacuations had also been previously conducted.

Klymenko reported that the Russian military, in its effort to gain a foothold in Vovchansk, did not allow residents to evacuate. Instead, people were kidnapped and forced to take shelter in basements.

The Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs emphasized that the first executions of civilians by the Russian military had occurred.

At this moment, the death of one Vovchansk resident who tried to escape on foot and refused to obey the invaders' orders has been confirmed. In connection with this, police investigators in the Kharkiv region have initiated a criminal case concerning violations of the rules and customs of war.

Klymenko also reported that Russian troops had shelled the Kharkiv region again, resulting in the deaths of two women. According to the Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office on its Telegram channel, an 87-year-old woman was killed in the village of Hrafske and a 72-year-old resident of Vovchansk.

Despite the intense fighting, Minister Klymenko emphasized that police evacuation teams are still working in Vovchansk and trying to ensure the civilian population's evacuation.