Evacuations Amid Destruction in Kostiantynivka

The team arrived with lists of residents who had decided to evacuate. The area, devastated by Russian attacks, lacked basic necessities like power, gas, heat, water, food, and secure shelter.

Rescuers shouted ‘evacuation’ to people in windows and on balconies. They aimed to persuade remaining individuals, often elderly and frail, that staying was no longer safe. The team assisted a disabled woman and her wheelchair into a van ready to transport her to safety.

Evgeny Tkachev from Proliska, a humanitarian group supported by the U.N., described entering Kostiantynivka as similar to playing Russian roulette. Streets are blocked by debris and craters, while drones constantly surveil the area.

Before the conflict, Kostiantynivka housed about 67,000 people. By January, the population shrank to around 2,000. The city became a significant Russian target, yet the Ukrainians remained determined to defend it.