52 civilians, including children, abducted in Sumy Oblast, forcibly taken to Russia
Editor's note: The story was updated with remarks from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russian troops abducted 52 residents, including several children, of the village of Hrabovske in Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, about 200 meters from the Russian border, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 22.
According to preliminary information, on Dec. 18, Russian forces illegally detained about 50 civilians — residents of the village of Hrabovske — holding them without access to communication or adequate conditions. On Dec. 20, they were forcibly taken to Russia.
"I immediately contacted the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, demanding information about the whereabouts of the illegally deported Ukrainian citizens, details on the conditions of their detention, and their urgent needs, as well as requesting measures for their immediate return to Ukraine. I also sent a letter to the ICRC," Lubinets wrote on Telegram.
The ombudsman urged civilians in the area to evacuate immediately, as staying in the combat zone is dangerous, stressing the need to adopt a law on compulsory evacuation, particularly for children, from areas where there is an immediate threat to their lives and freedom.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also urged "all states and international organizations" to support Ukraine in demanding the return of its citizens to territory under its control.
"With such medieval raids, (Vladimir) Putin's Russia shows it is no different from terrorist groups like ISIS, Boko Haram, or Hamas," Sybiha said.
Sybiha added that the abduction of civilians is already being prosecuted in Ukraine and called for a corresponding response at the international level.
"It also underscores the permanent threat of living next to Russia. That is why Ukraine needs a real, lasting peace," Sybiha said.
The information about the abduction of Ukrainian civilians in Sumy Oblast was confirmed earlier by a spokesperson for Ukraine's General Staff, Dmytro Lykhovii.
Most of those forcibly taken are elderly men and women; one of the women is 89 years old, Lykhovii told Ukrainska Pravda on Dec. 21. Almost all of them had previously refused to evacuate deeper into Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Zelensky, in answering questions from reporters, said that several children are included among the abductees.
Law enforcement agencies have already launched an investigation into the forced deportation of civilians, the Lykhovii added.
Viktor Trehubov, the head of communications for Ukraine’s Joint Forces, told Suspilne that on Dec. 20, Russian military units from the 36th Brigade entered a border village and attempted to advance up to one kilometer into Ukraine. Among the 50 civilians taken, most were men — people who had previously refused evacuation.
Fighting is ongoing in the village of Hrabovske, the Joint Forces Task Force wrote on Facebook. Ukrainian troops are actively working to push the Russian forces back into Russian territory.
"Despite some reports in the media, Russian forces are currently absent in the neighboring village of Riasne," the statement also clarified.
Meanwhile, the evacuation of civilians continues from the border communities of Sumy Oblast, as reported by Governor Oleh Hryhorov on Dec. 21. "Today, some residents from the Krasnopillia community, who had previously refused evacuation, were evacuated by armored transport," he wrote.
The border villages in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast are subject to waves of Russian attacks on a daily basis. The relentless strikes have triggered mandatory evacuations in hundreds of communities.
Sumy Oblast has been a key target for Russian forces throughout the full-scale invasion due to its location on the northeastern frontier. It continues to face near-daily strikes, but Ukrainian forces have maintained control over most of the region.
