Real atrocities: Russian troops shoot civilians and hunt down volunteers in Vovchansk

Kharkiv region, Tue, May 14, 2024 - 18:49

Russians terrorize the population of Vovchansk (collage: RBC-Ukraine)

The Russian military has begun mass terror against civilians in Vovchansk, the Kharkiv region. Ukrainian law enforcement managed to evacuate a pensioner from the city, whose finger was shot off by the occupiers, as well as a 19-year-old youth whom Russian soldiers attempted to kill the day before, according to Serhiy Bolvinov, the head of the Investigative Department of the National Police of the Kharkiv region.

What is known about the terror of the Russian military in Vovchansk

"Russians in Vovchansk are already hunting volunteers and shooting civilians. They shot off a pensioner's finger, almost killed a young man, and we are still finding out what happened to the volunteers," Bolvinov writes.

He recounted the story of a pensioner from Vovchansk. During shelling and enemy attacks, the man locked himself at home, Russian military knocked on his door and, without waiting for a response, began shooting at the door. As a result, the pensioner was shot in the finger.

The wounded man is being evacuated from Vovchansk (photo: Facebook/Sergiy Bolvinov)

"During these days, while battles for the city were raging, two volunteers set off in their own car to evacuate a local family from Vovchansk. However, they never reached their destination - they disappeared. We are already investigating this case, and unfortunately, according to preliminary information and witness accounts, the guys were shot by the Russian military. One of them is presumably wounded, the other did not survive," the investigator noted.

Bolvinov added that a witness in this case also fell victim to the occupiers. A 19-year-old guy came to Vovchansk to help his grandmother and wanted to evacuate his relatives. While people were packing their belongings, the Russian military stormed into the house, grabbed the guy, stripped him, and threw him into the basement. When he tried to escape, the Russians opened fire on him.

"The guy miraculously survived; the Russians threatened to kill him and locked him up again. He was only able to free himself at night after the military left the house," the law enforcement officer recounted.

Currently, the guy and his grandmother have been evacuated from the city.

Vovchansk remains under constant attacks by Russian forces (photo: Facebook/Sergiy Bolvinov)

What's the situation like in the city

Russia is actively shelling Vovchansk, and the Ukrainian authorities have evacuated almost all of the local population. Battles are currently ongoing on the outskirts of the city. Earlier, there was a report that the Russian army had entered the meat processing plant in Vovchansk, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces have refuted this information.

Yesterday, the head of the Vovchansk Municipal Administration, Tamaz Gambarashvili, reported that the situation in the city is critical, as it has been almost destroyed due to constant Russian shelling.