Russians do not let people go to Zaporizhzhia, setting route through Russian territory

OLENA ROSHCHINA – FRIDAY, 14 OCTOBER 2022, 17:26

The Russian invaders hardly let people out at the checkpoint in Vasylivka, which is 58 km away from Zaporizhzhia; people try to leave the temporarily occupied territories by another route – through Novoazovsk, which is near the border with Russia.

Source: Ivan Fedorov, the Mayor of Melitopol, during an Ukrinform briefing in Ukraine media centre

Quote: "The queue in Vasylivka checkpoint has begun to grow since 27 September. There were 1,200 cars with 6,000 residents. Currently, there are over 1,000 cars with over 4,000 civilians inside. The queue has decreased not because the people were allowed to pass, but because people could not wait.

Currently, a new evacuation route through Melitopol, Berdiansk, Mariupol and Novoazovsk has appeared. We already have examples of our residents using this route."

Details: The mayor of Melitopol promised to announce more details about the route later.

Fedorov reminded the press that earlier, over 1,000 residents from all temporarily occupied territories: Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk Oblasts, could leave across the demarcation line in Vasylivka settlement on a daily basis.

Currently, there is no such possibility, because the occupiers only let 20 to 30 cars out.

Moreover, there are days when people are not allowed to pass at all. For example, the Russians announced last Saturday and Sunday to be "days off".

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