A 5-month old baby and his grandmother have been killed by shelling in Avdiivka just a day after Ukrainian police urged the infant’s mother to evacuate. A family of four had been living in a “new house” in the town when it was caught in the fire of an intensifying Russian military campaign; the mother and father were injured in the incident but the baby and his grandmother were killed. The head of the Donetsk regional administration Pavlo Kyrylenko described it as a “terrible tragedy” as he shared footage of the encounter between the mother and Ukrainian police the day before the attack.
The Ukrainian mother “flatly refused” to leave her home despite being implored by the Ukrainian police to evacuate the front-line zone.
It is believed that she was reluctant to relocate her young child and that there were concerns over the costs of having to abandon her home.
In a statement alongside the video of the mother refusing to leave, Mr Kyrylenko said: “This terrible tragedy could have been avoided.
“Just yesterday the police once again persuaded the baby’s mother to think about her son and leave. But, unfortunately, even tough talk did not lead to the desired result – the woman once again flatly refused to leave for a safer place. And today the irreparable happened,” he said.
“Unfortunately, evacuation still seems incomprehensible and unnecessary to some people. But it’s the only thing that can save lives now.
“I appeal once again to the civilians who, contrary to common sense, remain in the front-line zone: evacuate! We provide everything necessary for this. Law enforcement officers risk their lives to save yours – don’t neglect it. Protect yourself and your children.”
FOLLOW BELOW FOR MORE LIVE UPDATES…
