UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Nov 15 — Russian troops force civilian people to live in the same buildings as them, using locals of the temporarily occupied Kharkiv Oblast as “shields,” said Anton Baiev, the head of the planning department of the 13th Khartia Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine on Ukrainian state TV.  

Although Ukraine’s Kharkiv counteroffensive pushed Russian troops away from most of Kharkiv Oblast in autumn 2022, in August 2023, Moscow still held about 29 settlements of the region on the left bank of the Oskil River. 

In 2024, Russia began a new advance east of the Kharkiv region (Kupiansk axis, moving even closer towards the Oskil River) and north of the region (Kharkiv axis, moving towards Kharkiv in directions of Lyptsi and Vovchansk).

Baiev said that if Ukrainian troops see civilians near Russian soldiers, they are forced to stop attacking. 

“When we see the enemy moving from the drone, we start firing at him or use artillery. But when we then see that a civilian — usually it’s an elderly civilian person— is near the target where [Russians] are, we understand that there won’t be any firing. Then, [we] need to wait for a civilian to leave or for an enemy to move to another location,” Baiev said. 

According to him, Russians know about the Armed Forces’ principles and start living in civilian people’s homes on purpose. Sometimes, Baiev said, they move into the basements of residents’ homes and make civilians live above them. 

“They protect themselves in this way because they know that, in that time [while they are in civilians’ homes], nothing will hit that house,” Baiev said. 

Read our article about civilians who underwent torture and abuse on the Vovchansk aggregate plant during the Russian occupation of the city in 2022: Inside Russian largest torture facility in deoccupied Kharkiv region.

On November 13, Russian troops attempted to enter Kupiansk and take positions there but were stopped by the Ukrainian army, according to the General Staff. 

Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on November 15 that the authorities believe a Russian sabotage group entered the territory of Kupiansk’s industrial zone on the left bank of the Oskil River. “Soldiers [there] report the group is destroyed. [Military is conducting] the sweep of the area where Russian troops might still be,” Syniehubov said.

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