FPV drone threat pushes Huliaipole residents to leave their homes
Police are evacuating local residents (Photo: Getty Images)
In recent weeks, more people have been leaving Huliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region, as the intensity of shelling has increased and FPV drones have started flying into the city, according to Anna Tkachenko, spokesperson for the Zaporizhzhia Regional Police, speaking on Hromadske Radio.
According to Tkachenko, Russian forces have been approaching Huliaipole since August, but the situation has worsened even more in recent weeks.
The police spokesperson reported that evacuations in the region have practically never stopped since the start of the full-scale war and have directly depended on the intensity of the shelling. However, over time, there came a period when people stopped leaving dangerous areas, including Huliaipole.
Many elderly people also categorically refused to leave.
“Now the situation has changed dramatically. In August, the Russians came even closer to the city, and the intensity of shelling increased. FPV drones started flying into the city. There are so many of them that the sky looks red,” said Anna Tkachenko.
According to her, during this period, police officers alone evacuated more than 150 people from Huliaipole. Volunteers are also assisting with evacuations, and some people are leaving in their own vehicles.
How the evacuation takes place
Anna Tkachenko explained how evacuations are conducted from the city, which is dangerous for residents’ lives.
“Military personnel participate in the evacuation, covering the skies and using electronic warfare systems (EW) to jam the frequencies of FPV drones. Police officers and volunteers use vehicles equipped with EW systems. The police also have special devices called ‘Chuyky,’ which detect approaching drones,” she said.
Those wishing to leave are informed by police officers about specific assembly points. The timing and routes of the evacuation vehicles are planned.
According to Tkachenko, there are no families with children left in the city. Most of the remaining approximately 400 residents are middle-aged or elderly.
The police spokesperson added that what frightens Huliaipole residents the most are FPV drones, which literally hunt everything alive.
Evacuation from frontline areas
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported on the forced evacuation of families with children from the village of Malokaterynivka in Zaporizhzhia district due to a deterioration in the security situation and an increase in hostilities near the settlement. Authorities urged residents to understand the necessity of the evacuation and not to delay leaving.
Previously, mandatory evacuation of children along with their parents or legal guardians was approved for certain settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
As of November 1, according to the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, over the past five months, 121,500 people have been evacuated from frontline areas in Ukraine, including about 14,000 children and nearly 4,000 people with limited mobility.
