Russians may have killed civilians who refused deportation from Hrabovske, says Ukrainian official

2025-12-22 11:57 3 min

Ukrainian civilians abducted by Russian troops from the village of Hrabovske in Sumy Oblast may have been taken to the Russian city of Belgorod, according to Volodymyr Bitsak, a member of the Sumy District Council. He made the statement on air with the Kyiv 24 TV channel.

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. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha compared this assault to a Hamas or ISIS terrorist act.

According to Bitsak, there has been no contact with the deported civilians, and their current place of detention remains unknown.

“An act of international terrorism”

“My friend's mother was taken there. There has been no contact with her, despite all attempts, without success. As far as I know, they were transported to the city of Belgorod and are being held in an unknown location. This is, indeed, an act of international terrorism,” Bitsak said.

He emphasized that the forced removal of civilians from border villages is a deliberate tactic used by Russian forces.

Threats, violence, and rising evacuations

According to the deputy, unconfirmed reports suggest that several people who refused to be taken to Russian territory may have been killed by the occupiers.

“They entered at night and began forcing people out of their homes into one place. Those who refused were coerced by force. Then people were loaded up and taken toward Belgorod,” Bitsak said.

Amid these events, he noted, the number of residents seeking evacuation from dangerous border communities in Sumy Oblast has increased sharply.