A Russian unit is said to have fired on civilians in the city of Pokrovsk. A radio message reveals that there was an order.
October 23, 2025, 10:15 p.mOctober 23, 2025, 10:15 p.m
Thomas Wanhoff / t-online
Near the embattled city of Pokrovsk, a Russian commander apparently ordered his soldiers to shoot at civilians. The Ukrainian secret service HUR has published intercepted radio messages in which, according to the service, corresponding instructions can be heard. This is reported by several Ukrainian media. There was no official statement from Russia.
Russian troops fire towards the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.image: imago
Accordingly, the commander said over the radio that his troops should “not let anyone through who is in their way, everyone with civilian luggage, destroy them,” according to the radio traffic recording. According to the Ukrainian newspaper Kyiv Independent, it was the commander of the Russian 30th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade who gave the order.
Ukrainian army units published a video on Telegram on Monday in which Russian troops got behind Ukrainian lines near Pokrovsk and were said to have killed several unarmed civilians.
The alleged war crime in the frontline crisis area in Donetsk Oblast was first reported on October 19 by Ukrainian volunteer Denis Khristov, who evacuates civilians from frontline settlements and documents his work on social media.
The city of Pokrovsk has been heavily fought over for months. image: AP/dpa
In a Telegram post, Khristov shared a video given to him by soldiers fighting in Pokrovsk showing the victims of the Russian attack. The incident is said to have occurred next to a railway line that runs through Pokrovsk. Two lifeless bodies can be seen in the video, a third female appears to be injured and is being carried away by a man.
The Ukrainian army spoke of an infiltration by Russian soldiers in the center of the city. During their mission they violated international human rights and killed several civilians.
It was currently impossible to get injured people out of the city, they said. Russian drones would attack any vehicle entering or leaving the city. Volunteers largely interrupted trips to the city. The “White Angels” police unit, which specializes in rescues from particularly dangerous situations, would also avoid Pokrovsk, reports the “Kyiv Independent”.