Russian Raid on Ukrainian Village Leads to Civilian Abductions and Military Captures in Sumy Region
In a night-time cross-border raid involving around 100 Russian troops, 52 civilians from the Ukrainian village of Hrabovske in the Sumy region were abducted and taken to Russia, alongside 13 Ukrainian soldiers who were captured during the same operation. The civilians were gathered in a church before being transported across the border to Belgorod, approximately 80 km (50 miles) inside Russia. Kyiv officials noted that the removal of civilians ahead of establishing occupation is unusual, and Russia has yet to comment on the incident. According to Sumy regional official Volodymyr Bitsak, the civilians are reportedly held in an unknown location in Belgorod. Following the raid, the Deep State claimed Russian forces had taken control of Hrabovske, while the Moscow defense ministry stated that Ukrainian forces were targeted in Hrabovske and other villages in the Sumy region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed surprise, highlighting that children were among those abducted. Ukraine's ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, condemned the actions as a serious violation of international humanitarian law, citing the incommunicado detention and deportation of civilians. Meanwhile, in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian forces withdrew from the town of Siversk to preserve soldiers' lives, a loss which moves Russian forces closer to Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Prior to the war, Hrabovske had a population of about 700. Despite the risks, 56% of residents in border areas reportedly refuse evacuation, with around 32,000 civilians, including 604 children, still remaining in these zones.
