Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
In the chaos of Ukraine’s eastern front, new evidence has surfaced suggesting civilians may have been deliberately targeted.
“Don’t let anyone pass on the way, anyone with large civilian bags, just f— them up!”
It sounds harrowing, borderline impossible to imagine anyone saying such a thing, but the quote is from a recording published by Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) on Oct. 22.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) has released the intercepted radio communication, in which a Russian commander allegedly orders troops to open fire on civilians near Pokrovsk.
According to Ukrainian officials, the voice on the intercepted recording belongs to a field commander of Russia’s 30th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, part of the 2nd Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District.
Dagens could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio.
Not the first time
HUR believes the intercepted message is tied to a video released on Oct. 20 by Ukraine’s 7th Corps of Air Assault Forces. The footage reportedly shows the aftermath of an incident in which Russian troops infiltrated Ukrainian lines and killed unarmed civilians in Pokrovsk.
The attack took place in a frontline area of Donetsk Oblast, a region that has seen some of the fiercest fighting of the war. Ukrainian volunteer Denys Khrystov, who helps evacuate residents from combat zones, was among the first to report the alleged war crime.
In a Telegram post, Khrystov shared a video passed to him by Ukrainian soldiers depicting several civilian casualties following the Russian assault.
A frequent target of Russian attacks
The incident reportedly unfolded on Mostovyi Lane, near a railway line that cuts through central Pokrovsk. The location is clearly identifiable in the footage.
Two people can be seen lying motionless on the street. Nearby, a wounded woman is carried away by another civilian, according to the video shared by Khrystov.
“Recently, an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group managed to infiltrate the center of Pokrovsk,” the 7th Corps said in its statement. “During their advance, unfortunately, the Russians violated international humanitarian law and killed several civilians in the city.”
Pokrovsk has frequently come under Russian fire, making independent verification of events difficult.
Evacuation halted
Police spokesperson Pavlo Diachenko told the Kyiv Independent that the number and identities of the victims are still being established.
The wounded woman seen in drone footage reportedly remains in Pokrovsk, as conditions have made her evacuation impossible.
Frequent Russian drone and artillery attacks have made it too dangerous for vehicles to enter or leave the city. As a result, most humanitarian missions have stopped operating in Pokrovsk altogether.
Even the National Police’s “White Angels” unit, which specializes in rescuing civilians from active war zones, no longer enters the city directly. Instead, it coordinates remotely with soldiers to move residents to safety when possible.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
