The village of Hrabovske officially came under occupiers' control
The analytical project DeepState confirmed that the village of Hrabovske in Sumy region came under the control of Russian military forces. The settlement, located directly on the state border line with Russia, became another victim of Russian aggression.
Timeline of events
On the night of December 20, Russian troops crossed the state border of Ukraine and entered the border village of Hrabovske. According to Viktor Trehubov, spokesman for the Joint Forces Group, about 100 Russian soldiers carried out a surprise attack on the settlement.
"There was a sudden attack, about a hundred Russians simply entered the territory of the settlement and tried to seize it and move further to the settlement of Ryasne," Trehubov reported.
Civilians in captivity
On December 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported the kidnapping of 52 Ukrainian civilians from the village of Hrabovske. Among the captives are children and women. According to the president, about 17-18 people were of conscription age, the rest were women and children.
In addition to civilians, Russian invaders also captured 13 Ukrainian military personnel of the Defense Forces.
Reasons for loss of control
According to a DeepState report, a group of Ukrainian fighters who held the border section in the village of Hrabovske acted irresponsibly in carrying out their tasks, which led to the penetration of Russian troops.
The occupiers are consolidating in the southern part of Hrabovske, but Ukrainian forces continue to drive them out. Active combat operations are ongoing in the settlement.
Evacuation measures
Due to the threat to border settlements in Sumy region, additional evacuation of residents of villages located in close proximity to the Russian border has begun.
According to the GUK, "stabilization measures" by Ukrainian military are ongoing in the area of Hrabovske village.
