White Angel evacuation crew gets attacked in Bakhmut
The Bilyi Yanhol (White Angel) unit of the Ukrainian police came under attack in the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast but managed to evacuate 10 people.
Source: press service of the National Police of Ukraine, Ivan Vyhivskyi, acting head of the National Police of Ukraine
Details: On 15 May, the vehicle of the White Angel police unit came under attack near the settlement of Chasiv Yar in the Bakhmut district, Donetsk Oblast.
❗Апдейт щодо обстрілу евакуаційного екіпажу поліції в Бахмуті.
— МВС України (@MVS_UA) May 16, 2023
5-ро поліцейських зазнали черепно-мозкових травм і контузії. Вижили завдяки броні.
Вони отримали необхідну допомогу і одразу ж повернулися туди, аби врятувати 9 дорослих і одну дитину. pic.twitter.com/KSXxwUF961
The Russians launched an artillery attack on the road, which the crew used to evacuate citizens. A projectile detonated next to the vehicle. The unarmoured compartment of the vehicle used to store things got pierced through with shrapnel.
"We were going there to pick people up, saw the results of a recent attack on the road and tried to go around it. It was at this moment when we experienced a powerful strike," recall the police officers. "The windshield burst, there were sparks in the car, the shrapnel flew, the smoke rose."
The five police officers suffered traumatic brain injury and contusion, they stayed alive thanks to their armour. They managed to get out of the area under fire themselves, received necessary treatment and returned right away to save nine adults and one child.
Background: Despite persistent calls of the Ukrainian authorities to evacuate, few citizens took this opportunity. A part of the local population still remains in Bakhmut.
For reference: The White Angels are a unit used for evacuation of civilians, specifically children, from the most dangerous hot spots.
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