Evacuation Efforts Amid Ongoing Conflict in Kostiantynivka

Amid intense Russian bombardment, rescue teams prepare to evacuate those willing to leave Kostiantynivka. This city faces severe shortages of power, gas, heat, running water, food, and intact shelters, making living conditions dire.

Rescue workers actively search for individuals ready to evacuate. They call out to residents from windows and balconies, urging those who remain, particularly the elderly and infirm, to gather essentials and leave. In one instance, they assist a disabled woman into a waiting van.

According to Evgeny Tkachev, from the U.N.-supported humanitarian group Proliska, traveling into Kostiantynivka is perilous. Streets filled with rubble and craters complicate passage, while drones maintain a constant presence overhead.

Prior to the conflict, Kostiantynivka housed approximately 67,000 residents. By January, this number drastically reduced to about 2,000. The city remains a focal point of the Russian offensive, and Ukrainian forces are steadfast in their efforts to defend it.