Ukrainian forces are currently engaged in combat with Russian troops in Hrabovske, Sumy Oblast. The occupiers breached the border on 18 December.
The fighting sparked after a group of Russian soldiers detained about fifty civilians in the village and held them for two days without access to communication or proper conditions. On 20 December, they were forcibly deported to the Russian territory. Their whereabouts are unknown.
Ukraine’s Defense Forces report they are taking measures to push the occupiers back toward Russian territory.
Gross violation of international humanitarian law
Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has appealed to Russian Ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova, demanding information on the whereabouts of the residents of Hrabovske.
He has stressed that such actions constitute a gross violation of international humanitarian law.
“I have urgently appealed to the Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation with a demand to provide information on the whereabouts of illegally deported Ukrainian citizens,” Lubinets states.
He has also requested a report on the conditions of their detention and their urgent needs, and urged Russia to take measures for their immediate return to Ukraine.
Lubinets has also sent a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross and called on the international community to give a proper legal assessment of Russia’s actions and to use all available mechanisms of influence to stop the illegal deportation of Ukraine’s civilian population.
“I also appeal to our citizens: remaining in a combat zone is dangerous. Evacuation is a chance to protect yourself and your loved ones,” the ombudsman added.
As a result of the rapid advance of Russian forces in Sumy Oblast, Ukrainian defenders have withdrawn from several positions in the Hrabovske area.
Stabilization measures are currently underway, along with efforts to identify and eliminate Russian personnel.
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