Kyiv attempts to negotiate evacuation from Bucha and Hostomel

Olena Rotchina – Sunday, 6 March 2022, 10:30

The Ukrainian government is negotiating the evacuation of civilians from Hostomel and Bucha in the Kyiv region, two cities that remain under the relentless fire of the Russian troops.

Source: advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Oleksiy Arestovych on live TV 

According to Arestovych: "This question is being discussed at the highest level with international humanitarian organisations and – via mediators – with the Russian side, in order to create an evacuation path from Bucha and Hostomel…

The enemy has practically seized Bucha and Hostomel, they are in effect holding our citizens hostage there. The Russian forces have also encircled Mariupol… With regards to the "green corridors," I think this question will be resolved."

Details: Arestovych said that Ukrainian troops have established new positions now in Hostomel and Bucha in order to not endanger civilians’ houses. He said that Russian troops have entered those towns, wounded many children, and are making their evacuation impossible. Children are hiding in basements, some children have been wounded or killed.

According to Arestovych, Russian troops to the northwest of Kyiv are "utterly confused." There, Ukrainian troops are executing missiles and air strikes, and holding back Russian ground forces.

"Geographically, Irpin is a dead end, there is nothing there for the Russians. If they looked at the map carefully, they would realise that Irpin is not an option," advisor to the Head of the President’s Office said.

According to Arestovych, "the defence is carried out successfully" in the hotspots, "and civilians must be evacuated."

Background: Oleksiy Kuleba, head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, said that people could not be evacuated from Bucha and Hostomel near Kyiv: according to local residents, the occupiers were shooting at civilians.

The Bucha City Council reported that Russian troops continued to ruthlessly fire on houses in Bucha and kill civilians, including children.

On the first day of the war, Hostomel and the Antonov airfield became the epicentre of attacks by the Russian troops near Kyiv.