Russia Nearly Wipes the Town of Vasylkivka in Ukraine's Deep Rear Off the Map

Russia's attacks against Ukraine increasingly target civilian settlements located far from the front line. The village of Vasylkivka in the Synelnykove district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has been almost completely destroyed by intense bombardments carried out every day and night for the past month. According to information conveyed by journalist Roman Mikhalçuk on Hromadske Radyo broadcast, this small settlement suffered heavy destruction due to guided авиабомба (air-launched guided bombs) attacks by Russian forces. The fact that the village is located approximately 50 kilometers away from the 'grey zone,' considered an active combat zone, reveals the strategy of targeting civilian infrastructure. The scale of civilian casualties and material damage in the region is causing deep concern in local and international public opinion.

Following the increase in the intensity of the attacks, regional administrations had to make urgent evacuation decisions to ensure the safety of the civilian population. According to statements by Oleksandr Hanja, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast military administration, mandatory evacuation was declared for Vasylkivka on 10 July. Prior to this decision, the evacuation process had been initiated in nine different villages in the Vasylkivka region on 3 July. Additionally, an evacuation order was issued for the village of Vyşçetarasivka in the Nikopol region, which is located on the border line of Zaporizhzhia Oblast and is subjected to regular artillery fire from occupying forces. These comprehensive evacuation operations are considered a clear indication that life has become unsustainable even in the regions behind the front line.

While a total of 6,500 adults are planned to be evacuated from the evacuated regions, it was stated that all children in the region had been previously transferred to safe zones. It was reported that approximately 56,800 people have been evacuated from the Synelnykove region alone so far, and 10,500 of this number are children. Journalist Mikhalçuk stated that these figures, along with the working civilian population in the region, clearly reveal the dimensions of an ongoing humanitarian crisis. Authorities announced that evacuations are continuing systematically and efforts are being made to resettle the civilian population in safer areas. This massive displacement points to the increasingly deepening internal displacement and refugee crisis in the country.

On the other hand, the destruction brought by the war and the mandatory evacuations bring along different security problems in the region. According to information obtained from locals living near the front line and in evacuated areas, looting incidents have been detected in abandoned houses and workplaces. However, journalist Mikhalçuk stated that such illegal actions are not systematic or massive in scale, and therefore the issue is not brought up very often. Even though security forces and local administrations are trying to take extra measures to protect abandoned properties, the conflict environment makes such inspections highly difficult. The local population is forced to live with both the destruction of the war and such concerning increases in crime rates.

The differences between the concepts of mandatory and voluntary evacuation and the functioning of these processes constitute an important part of the civil defense mechanisms in Ukraine. Figures such as Kharkiv volunteer Oleksandr Humanjuk continue their efforts to inform the public about how evacuation processes are conducted and how the public should prepare for them. The prolongation of the war and the expansion of Russian bombardments towards civilian settlements bring along new discussions regarding violations of international law. The systematic destruction of civilian settlements, especially villages located far from any military target, contains serious warnings that the humanitarian situation in the region is increasingly deteriorating. While the Ukrainian administration continues to establish control and strengthen defense lines in these regions, it also expects more support and reaction from the international public opinion.