A Russian checkpoint in the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia has become the only relatively safe way for Ukrainians to try to leave the southern occupied areas for Ukrainian territory.
But recent videos from around the checkpoint show hundreds of vehicles lined up, unable to cross.
Ivan Fedorov, mayor of Melitopol, which is in Russian-occupied territory, said on Ukrainian television on Tuesday that “the evacuation of the occupied territories is the biggest problem. Evacuation is almost impossible today.”
He said people were trying to leave the occupied territories of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk through the Vasylivka checkpoint, with some on the road for seven days, sleeping in their cars.
“Today, more than 5,000 people, more than 1,200 cars are parked there,” he added.
Fedorov, who is not in Melitopol, reported the deaths of five people waiting to leave in recent days. He did not explain the circumstances of the deaths.
“People can’t even buy food for themselves. The only condition under which Russians allow people to go buy food in the city is to leave all documents (passport, driver’s license, etc.),” she said.
The videos show people sleeping in their cars and tents and crammed into a gas station in the hot summer temperatures. Some people are sleeping outdoors.
A video shows a large fire burning through the grass next to the highway near the checkpoint. Large amounts of rubbish also piled up around the checkpoint.
Fedorov said the Russians were using civilians as human shields in Melitopol and had spent the past three days making major arms transfers across the temporarily occupied territories.
“Yesterday, three convoys of equipment passed through the city of Melitopol towards Kherson. It’s a hundred units of heavy weapons, more than 20 tanks, landing vehicles and so on,” he said.
Fedorov added that the armor was traveling west of Kherson, where a Ukrainian counterattack against Russian defenses is developing.
Source: CNN Brasil
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