Media: Russian drone attacks volunteer car in Donetsk Oblast's Chasiv Yar

Dinara Khalilova, The Kyiv Independent news desk
·2 min read
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A Russian FPV (first-person-view) drone struck a volunteer's car in the front-line town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast on Jan. 26, destroying a part of humanitarian aid for locals, according to journalists of Ukrainska Pravda media outlet, who witnessed the event.

Since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine in 2014, local and international charities and volunteers have been risking their lives to help civilians in front-line areas. In September last year, two foreign volunteers were killed, and two more were hospitalized when their car was struck by Russian shelling while driving through Chasiv Yar.

The car struck on Jan. 26 had distinct humanitarian mission markings on the hood and roof, according to Ukrainska Pravda's journalists who were filming the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

The drone first passed over the car, then turned around and dropped explosives at the vehicle "in a few seconds," the media outlet wrote.

The car reportedly belongs to Yevhen Tkachov, a volunteer of the humanitarian mission "Proliska" supported by the UN Refugee Agency. Tkachov managed to hide ahead of the attack, as did the journalists.

Tamara, a female resident of Chasiv Yar, was receiving aid from Tkachov at the moment and stood closest to the car but also survived and didn't suffer any injuries, Ukrainska Pravda added.

"Presumably, the charge of the FPV drone was cumulative. Namely, it did not carry fragments, which saved the volunteer, the journalists, and the civilian woman."

Tamara is one of the three residents who remain in Chasiv Yar's East district, also known as Kanal, heavily damaged by Russian artillery strikes, according to the outlet.

Chasiv Yar, once home to over 13,000 people, lies near Bakhmut, just several kilometers from the front line. Local officials have long urged any civilians left in the town to leave due to the intense fighting in the area.

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