Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of abducting and transporting dozens of civilians from Hrabovske village in Sumy to Russian territory, in a move Kyiv considers an ongoing breach of international humanitarian law during their more than three-year conflict with Moscow. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed this incident by noting 52 residents were taken by Russian troops after refusing to evacuate, in what Ukrainian leaders have described as an act of forced deportation, according to The Kyiv Independent newspaper.
Hrabovske was located only several hundred metres from Russia, yet nearly 100 Russian soldiers entered and detained its remaining residents, according to Ukrainian officials. These residents were held without communication or adequate conditions for two days before being taken across the border and taken across into Russian-held territory. Although mandatory evacuation orders had previously been in effect due to ongoing hostilities in the region, many older residents refused to evacuate, believing they would still remain safe due to proximity and longstanding neighbourly ties across the frontier.
Hromadske
Zelensky stated that Russian forces deliberately avoided responding to Ukrainian military actions so as to minimize civilian casualties; even though Ukrainian troops had the ability to engage aggressors. Our troops could have engaged the aggressors from a distance using artillery and drones but chose not to, given there were civilians present in Ukraine.
Ukrinform
Ukraine leaders have expressed strong outrage at Russia’s forcible removal of civilians from villages across Ukraine. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha likened their removal to acts committed by terrorist groups and described it as a medieval-like assault on noncombatants. He called upon international bodies to exert pressure against Russia to return the abducted villagers as quickly as possible and gather more information regarding their treatment and conditions in detention centers.
Ukraine’s Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, has also appealed to Russia’s human rights commissioner and the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide updates regarding whereabouts and welfare of deported civilians who may have been abducted or deported, in addition to taking steps toward their release. Ukrainian authorities claim such abductions and deportations constitute violations of international humanitarian law that potentially amount to war crimes.
Hromadske
The Hrabovske abduction is part of an emerging pattern of forced civilian relocations and relocations since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine and human rights organisations have accused Russia of deporting civilians — including children — from occupied territory; an incident documented earlier during this conflict which resulted in International Criminal Court arrest warrants against senior Russian officials.
Fights remain ongoing at parts of the border and frontline in Sumy region, where Ukrainian forces have repelled Russian incursions and shelling. An abduction incident has increased fears among other border communities, prompting authorities to intensify evacuation efforts and reinforce military defences.
International reaction has been measured but critical, with Western governments repeating calls for respect of international law and civilian protection in conflict zones. No immediate statements have come out from Moscow regarding allegations of abductions.
As Ukraine and its Western allies negotiate peace talks, their fates of those abducted remains unclear. Kyiv has stressed that any meaningful diplomatic solution must address humanitarian concerns — including their safe return.