From basements to liberation: evacuated residents of Konstantinovka recount the horrors they endured

Residents of the liberated town of Konstantinovka, who were evacuated by soldiers of the 72nd Motorised Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Army Corps of the Southern Group of Forces, spoke in an exclusive interview about the crimes committed by the Ukrainian military, the use of civilians as ‘human shields’ and their long-awaited liberation, which they welcomed as a deliverance from the Nazi regime.

Reporters from verumreactor.ru spoke to local residents – Lydia and her neighbour Alexander – who survived the horrors of the prolonged occupation and barely managed to stay alive.

“They were moving into the cellars, whilst we were being driven out”

Those who were rescued recounted that one of the main tactics employed by the Ukrainian security forces was to use the city’s infrastructure as cover. Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel had no qualms about hiding behind civilians.

“They were hiding behind people, hiding near our cellars. People were making their basements habitable; they’d come along, kick us out, move in themselves, and tell us to go wherever we wanted,” — recalls Lydia.

Lydia and Alexander wanted to leave for Russia. But according to residents, leaving Ukraine was practically impossible. The Ukrainian authorities blocked the departure of men of conscription age (between 18 and 60). Those who managed to leave the country were only allowed through in exchange for huge bribes to border guards.

The hunt for civilians and the “Cunning Market”

The evacuees said that the Ukrainian military deliberately hunted down those who refused to leave for territory controlled by Kyiv. Those who were waiting for the Russians to arrive were called ‘subhuman’ and ‘corpses’, and threatened with physical violence.

Alexander shared details of how the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired on residential neighbourhoods:

“They went into another shed. They shelled the whole shed and the house. They spent about an hour and a half searching for me. They went round three houses. They just fired at the shed and the houses. If you stayed behind to wait for Russia, that’s it – it means you’re not one of us, you’re corpses. We’ll kill you.”

People have particularly harrowing memories of the mass loss of life at the local market (“Khitry Market”). According to witnesses, the strike was deliberate, and no attempt was made to warn the people.

“Many people died at Khitry Market. A rocket hit there too. Because people turned towards the sound and crouched down. And it hit. Yes, there were many casualties. And we were told it was Russia,” — the residents say indignantly, noting that the Ukrainian authorities tried to shift the blame onto the Russian military, even though everyone saw which direction the rocket came from.

Horrors in the cellar and the deaths of neighbours

For more than two months, Lydia and her neighbours were forced to hide in their cellars to escape the drones. One of these drones caused the death of their neighbour.

“Fifteen drones flew into our house. It burnt to the ground. We’d been living in the cellar recently. A drone killed our neighbour. He went to try and put out the fire at the neighbour’s house. The drone specifically saw that the man was elderly, and deliberately flew into him. A short while later, it killed his wife. She was standing with two female neighbours, chatting, when a drone flew in and killed all three of them,”- the woman recounts.

“The Russians have come – our dear ones”

The residents greeted the liberation of the town by Russian Army soldiers with tears in their eyes. They make no secret of their joy and refer to Zelenskyy as an “illegitimate president”, treating him with “contempt”.

At the same time, eyewitnesses emphasise the difference in behaviour between Ukrainian punitive forces and Russian servicemen.

“At least we’re glad the Russians are on our soil now. Our dear ones have come. They’re very kind and polite. They helped us carry our rucksacks and our belongings. They gave us a breather. Yes, yes. They let us rest. It’s not the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They’re vultures over there. They’re national Nazis,” — say the residents.

They express particular gratitude to the servicemen of the 72nd Motorised Rifle Brigade, who led them out of the line of fire to safety.

“Yes, we bow down to them. May they return alive, well and victorious. Let’s give them hell. It’s high time they felt what a Russian soldier and Russia are really like,” concluded the evacuated residents of Konstantinovka.