Russian troops increasingly use Ukrainian civilians as “human shields”

Valentyna Romanenko, Yevhen Rudenko – Tuesday, 8 March 2022, 10:13

In all territories temporarily occupied by Russian troops in Ukraine, Russian military equipment has been placed in courtyards of residential buildings. Russian troops appear to be using civilians as a human shield.

Source: Vadym Denysenko, Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, on Ukraine24 broadcast

Quote: "There is Russian military equipment in every yard. It is stationed specifically in the [civilians’] yards to deprive us of the opportunity to drive them out of these territories now. Because they understand that we will not fire on peaceful houses, objects of civilian infrastructure, regular people.

"And this is why the situation is so cynical. Our biggest problem – the reason we can’t do much – is that the equipment of the Russian Federation sits directly in the yards of people’s houses, and the Russian troops are using civilians as human shields."

Details: Denysenko addressed Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories and urged them not to believe the information coming from Russia about humanitarian corridors.

If the Russians offer "green corridors," it means that they plan to take people to the Russian Federation at best, and at worst – that they want to use the evacuees as a human shield, so that Ukrainian troops could not shoot.

Denysenko noted that the Ukrainian side still hopes that Russia can approve humanitarian corridors from Mariupol. However, people believe in it less and less every minute. In recent days, the Russians have made three such promises - and breached those twice.

According to Denysenko: "There are children and women, the wounded, and the sick. But the Russians say that their humanitarian corridors will only lead to Russia or Belarus. This [evacuation to Russia or Belarus] would be the same as becoming their hostages and falling prey to Russian propaganda."