Russian troops executed a civilian couple in their home, then kidnapped their underage daughter to use as a human shield.
The crime unfolded in Shandryholove village in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast on the front line, captured in real time through intercepted radio communications.
The radio intercepts reveal something chilling. Before the assault even began, a Russian commander with the call sign “Bali” issued explicit orders to his troops: kill all civilians except children.
“Get ready immediately that you will have to kill people, kill everyone indiscriminately. Everyone indiscriminately! Except children,” Bali told his subordinates, according to communications released by Ukraine’s Third Army Corps.
His men followed orders precisely. They entered the family’s home and shot the parents. Their daughter was taken alive.
“The child [must be] constantly under supervision, keep her somewhere separately,” the commander instructed further. ” She must not see the dead bodies. Feed her. Give her water. Don’t hurt her or offend her.”
The Third Army Corps says Russian forces are now using the girl as cover for their military advance toward Lyman. Ukrainian troops cannot fire on Russian positions while the child remains in their custody.
Military officials characterize the incident as a documented war crime, with the Third Army Corps emphasizing that all radio communications demonstrate the calculated nature of the Russian operations against civilians.
Both the Third Army Corps and Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) stress that early evacuation from combat areas remains the most effective protection against such attacks by Russian forces.
It remains unclear why the family with a kid stayed in the village on the front line for so long instead of evacuating.