Some 10,000 Ukrainian civilians are clinging to existence in horrific circumstances in and around the besieged city of Bakhmut, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said.
Several thousand, many elderly and with disabilities, are estimated to remain in the city itself, said the ICRC’s Umar Khan, who has been providing them with aid in recent days.
“For the civilians that are stuck there, they are living in very dire conditions, spending almost the entire days in intense shelling in the shelters,” he told a Geneva press briefing by video link from Dnipro in Ukraine.
“All you see is people pushed to the very limits of their existence and survival and resilience.”
It comes after one of Kyiv’s top generals, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Ukraine would soon launch a counteroffensive in embattled eastern and southern regions as Russian forces are “running out of steam”.
Russia’s winter push for new ground in eastern and southern Ukraine has failed to result in any major victories, and has instead descended into bloody attrition.
Thousands of civilians ‘at the limit of existence’ in Bakhmut, says Red CrossFriday 24 March 2023 13:23 , Emily Atkinson
Some 10,000 Ukrainian civilians, many elderly and with disabilities, are clinging on to existence in horrific circumstances in and around the besieged city of Bakhmut, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Friday.
Russian forces have been trying for months to capture the city in Europe’s bloodiest infantry battle since World War Two.
Several thousand are estimated to remain in the city itself, said the ICRC’s Umar Khan, who has been providing them with aid in recent days.
“For the civilians that are stuck there, they are living in very dire conditions, spending almost the entire days in intense shelling in the shelters,” he told a Geneva press briefing by video link from Dnipro in Ukraine.
“All you see is people pushed to the very limits of their existence and survival and resilience.”
More funding announced as Kyiv asks Britons to take in more Ukrainians03:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
British households taking in Ukrainian refugees who have been in the country for more than a year are to receive an increased “thank you” payment as Kyiv’s ambassador implored more sponsors to offer accommodation.
The Ukrainian ambassador to the UK thanked the British people for their generosity in coming to the aid of those fleeing the conflict caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But Vadym Prystaiko added that “some still need your help” as he called for “those who can” to open their doors to families displaced from their homeland.