As the bloody battle for the destroyed city of Bakhmut and the adjoining city of Chasiv Yar rages on, Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers continue to rescue citizens trapped in the conflict zone.
'Should Have Left Earlier': Ukrainian Soldiers Rescue Desperate Civilians Around Bakhmut
- By RFE/RL
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Lyuba cries as she clutches her trembling chihuahua, Margot, after being evacuated from Bakhmut by Ukrainian soldiers. "We should have left earlier," she said after arriving safely in Chasiv Yar on April 3.
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A Ukrainian soldier sits atop a tank outside battle-scarred apartments near Bakhmut.
Located astride two major crossroads, the battle for "Fortress Bakhmut" continues despite Russian claims that it has captured the eastern city.
Located astride two major crossroads, the battle for "Fortress Bakhmut" continues despite Russian claims that it has captured the eastern city.
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Although the majority of Bakhmut's 70,000 prewar residents have fled, the Ukrainian military believes that 1,000 to 5,000 people, mainly the elderly, the poor, and disabled, are still there as the fighting grinds on.
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Civilians rescued from Bakhmut carry their personal belongings as they step out of a Ukrainian armored personnel carrier in Chasiv Yar. They will be transported further away from the war zone to an internally displaced persons (IDP) shelter in Kostyantynivka.
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Lyuba, who was rescued from Bakhmut, enters the shelter with her dog and a bag of her belongings in Kostyantynivka. "We thought that such a thing wouldn't happen," she said, referring to the raging war and their last-minute escape from the ruined city.
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Svetlana, 63, cries after arriving safely at the IDP shelter in Kostyantynivka.
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Another woman rescued from Bakhmut is 80-year-old Oleksandra, who sobs as she lies on her bed in the shelter. A soldier who assisted in her rescue said this was the second time in a week that they were bringing out civilians. People stay because "they hope that everything will be OK."
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Oleksandra will now share this space with others who are also displaced by the war.
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A member of a U.S. volunteer group, the Alaska State Sno-X Lions Club, attempts to persuade a resident to leave his home in Chasiv Yar. The small town, located on a hill just a few kilometers west of Bakhmut, is likely to become the next bulwark against Moscow's forces.
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Chasiv Yar, which had a prewar population of 15,000, has been repeatedly targeted by Russian artillery. It is on a vital resupply route for Ukrainian troops engaged in fighting in and around Bakhmut.
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A volunteer with the Alaska State Sno-X Lions Club pleads with 56-year-old Natalia to leave her home in Chasiv Yar. The woman had refused to flee earlier, citing her pets.
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Basement doors show shrapnel damage and writing announcing the presence of civilians. Volodymyr, 56, listens as volunteers try to persuade civilians like him to leave Chasiv Yar.
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A Ukrainian soldier guides a volunteer through the shattered landscape of Chasiv Yar in hopes of persuading the last holdouts to evacuate. It is estimated that 1,500 residents remain, most of whom spend their days hiding in basements with no electricity or running water.
