During the evacuation of residents from the city of Toretsk in the Donetsk region on Tuesday, June 25, a crew from the Charity Foundation Skhid SOS (East SOS) came under fire from Russian troops, according to the foundation's Facebook post.
"On June 25, the crew of the Charity Foundation Skhid SOS came under fire from occupiers during the evacuation of residents from Toretsk," the statement reads.
It is noted that the Russian forces shelled the city at around 9:30 AM. The evacuation vehicle of the foundation was hit, whose crew had managed to evacuate two people and was heading towards another four residents of the city.
The impact shattered the vehicle's windows, and the driver, Vladyslav Arsenii, sustained shrapnel wounds. The second crew member, Oleksandr Stasenko, was unharmed.
The foundation also reported that due to the deteriorating security situation in Toretsk, Skhid SOS is currently receiving numerous requests for evacuation.
"Today, three crews were working there, and we planned to assist with 12 requests and evacuate 17 people, two of whom are representatives of vulnerable groups. The attack on our mission by the enemy is yet another war crime committed by the Russian army," the organization added.
Evacuation in the Donetsk region
The evacuation of civilians from settlements near the front line in the Donetsk region is ongoing.
Yesterday, it was reported that authorities plan to conduct a mandatory evacuation from the city of Toretsk. This decision is due to the close proximity of Russian forces and the constant shelling of the city.
Today, it has been announced that mandatory evacuation of families with children will be carried out from five settlements in the Donetsk region.