The Russians are not allowing civilians to evacuate from Vovchansk and are taking them hostage

This was reported by Oleksiy Kharkivskyi, the chief patrol officer of the Vovchansk police department, on the air of KYIV24.

“There is information about civilian hostages in Vovchansk… people who have come out confirmed that Russian military are shelling civilians and not allowing them to evacuate to this side”, he said.

Oleksiy Kharkivskyi emphasized that the police are trying to clarify all the circumstances and how many Ukrainians remain in the city as hostages of the Russians.

“These are people who did not leave Vovchansk during the evacuation. On the northern outskirts of Vovchansk, there are streets where people also remained. They could be hiding in basements or houses. It is not yet 100% known where they might have been or where they were taken hostage. Pre-trial investigations are ongoing, and we are clarifying all the circumstances”, the officer said.

It should be noted that according to the General Staff, the enemy continued offensive actions in the Kharkiv direction over the past day, carrying out 11 attacks. Ukrainian defense forces have pushed the enemy from positions near Kyslivka, southeast of Kupiansk. It is also known that the situation in the settlement of Vovchansk is tense but controlled.

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