“The Russians have orders to shoot civilians.” Ukrainian forces report that in occupied cities, Russia gives direct orders to kill men and use women and children as “human shields”, making the defense extremely tough, according to Ukrainian units.
From the very first days of the war, Russia deployed a systematic terror campaign against the Ukrainian civilians. The most notorious example of this terror was the Bucha massacre, which became a symbol of Russia’s war crimes. This terror continues today: daily Russian shelling kills peaceful Ukrainians, striking residential areas with drones and missiles.
At the same time, after these atrocities, Russian President Putin received a form of political encouragement: at a summit in Anchorage with US President Donald Trump, he was given a “red carpet” treatment. The US has not imposed sanctions or provided Ukraine with aid packages.
Testimonies from captivity: the order to “shoot civilians”
The harsh realities of the war and Russia’s brutal tactics were reported by the Ukrainian military at a press conference at the “Nakipilo” press center in Kharkiv.
Vadym Mysnyk, head of communications for the Northern Group of Forces, said that “in Kupiansk, the presence of civilian populations in the city makes the execution of combat tasks by the Ukrainian Defense Forces extremely difficult.”
“There is clear evidence, including testimonies from prisoners and verification from other sources, that the enemy has explicit orders to kill men and use children, elderly, and women as human shields,” he said.
Occupier disguise and the complexity of city defense
According to Ukrainian forces, the occupiers disguise themselves in civilian clothing, pretending to be locals to move around towns and act in the immediate rear of the UDF.
The presence of civilians significantly complicates defense planning.
“The Ukrainian Defense Forces do not operate like Russian units, and it is difficult for us to plan operations without endangering our citizens,” emphasized Tetiana Branitska, head of communications for the 10th Army Corps.
She added that for Ukrainian troops, “the complexity of defending a populated area doubles when civilians are present. This is the most difficult aspect of our operations.”
Direct testimonies: “they have orders to shoot…”
Ukrainian officers emphasize the reliability of information obtained from interrogations of prisoners.
“We know from interrogations of captives that they have orders to shoot civilians, seize homes — and if there is resistance — to kill everyone,” Branitska reported.
This situation highlights that war crimes and the practice of using civilians as human shields are not isolated cases but a consistent tactic that Ukrainian defenders must contend with daily.