Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, about 25,000 people lived in the city of Avdiivka. Despite the shelling, about 2,000 civilians remain there.
Pale and grimy from living in a dank, dark basement for nearly a year, the teenager and his weeping mother emerged to the sound of pounding artillery and headed to a waiting armored police van that would whisk them to safety.
Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, about 25,000 people lived in Avdiivka. Despite the shelling, about 2,000 civilians remain, Protsyk said.For months, authorities have been urging civilians in areas near the fighting to evacuate to safer parts of the country. But while many have heeded the call, others -- including families with children -- have steadfastly refused.
"The compulsory evacuation order is unfortunately only in force in Bakhmut. In Avdiivka, this law is not adopted," said White Angels policeman Gennadiy Yudin. "We're driving around to all the families. We are warning them, we are informing them about the evacuation.""I already think that for Bakhmut, it's too late," Protsyk said. "Here in our region, ... if such a decision would be made now, it would be safe.
Moments before the evacuation of the mother and son and just a few streets away, another apartment building was hit by an airstrike. The entire corner of the apartment block was gone, reduced to smoldering rubble as flames and black smoke billowed from the gaping hole the bomb left in the 15-story structure.
In the nearby village of Netailove, so close to the front line that the sound of shooting sounded across the fields on the village outskirts, the police tried -- and failed -- to persuade a teenager's family that it was time to go.
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