Russia provided a list of civilians it illegally deported from the border village of Hrabovske (Sumy region) and informed where and in what conditions they are being held.
This was stated by the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Lubinets in an interview with Radio Liberty.
According to him, there are 52 civilians, no children among them. Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that there were children among the evacuated residents.
Lubinets added that the deportees are currently in one of the front-line regions of Russia.
"They even sent me photos and videos of conversations with them about whether they had any complaints about providing them with food, medicine, water, and living conditions," he said.
The Ombudsman appealed to his Russian counterpart Tatyana Moskalkova demanding the urgent return of the people to Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ombudsman also sent a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Lubinets suggests that Russia will try to set conditions for the return of Ukrainian citizens.
What is happening in the border region of the Sumy region?
On the evening of December 20, local Sumy media reported that Russians had infiltrated the village of Hrabovske and taken civilians who had previously refused to evacuate to the territory of the Russian Federation. This involved 52 people.
Kordon.Media stated that Russian units continued to move towards the Vysoke farm and the village of Ryasne, which is adjacent to Hrabovske. Civilians also remained in Ryasne on the morning of December 20. Evacuation began in the evening of the same day.
On the DeepState map, these settlements were not marked as occupied as of December 21. The projectʼs co-founder Ruslan Mikula confirmed to Suspilne that they are currently recording the activation of Russian troops in the Hrabovske area.
Later, an officer of the Main Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Dmytro Lykhovii confirmed that as a result of the Russian offensive, the Defense Forces had to withdraw from several positions in the Hrabovske area.
The head of the communications department of the Joint Forces Group Viktor Trehubov stated that the actions of the Russian troops do not look like an attempt at a large-scale breakthrough, but rather like a provocation.
Trehubov specified that on the night of December 20, units of the Russian 36th Brigade entered the area of the border village of Hrabovske and tried to penetrate into the territory of Ukraine up to one kilometer. After capturing the village, the Russians forcibly deported more than 50 local residents to the territory of the Russian Federation. These are mostly elderly men and women, one of whom is 89 years old.
The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets added that before the deportation, these residents were illegally detained and held without access to communication facilities and proper conditions. This was on December 18, and on December 20 they were forcibly taken to the territory of the Russian Federation.
On December 23, the military reported that about a hundred Russian soldiers had entered the village of Hrabovske. They were trying to gain a foothold in the southern part of the village in order to advance further towards the neighboring village of Ryasne.
Ukrainian forces are trying to dislodge them from their positions. Fighting continues in Hrabovske.
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