This is 1 of many dramas that have taken place in Ukraine since the beginning of the war. About war crimes and false safety promises made by Russian soldiers of the Ukrainian civilian population is reported late by the Lemkin Center study “We do not attack civilians... Green corridor in Lypiwiec as a trap for Russian business troops".
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. A twelve days later, 12 March 2022, The Russians allowed residents under Russian business of the village of Łypiwka (in the Kiev Oblast, the Polish name of the village is Lipówka) to leave nearby, controlled by Ukrainian Koroliwka. They guaranteed a safe corridor. At 4:00 p.m., a civilian evacuation column consisting of 14 private cars was launched.
About what happened during this trip, the late published study of the Centre for Documentation of Russian Crimes in Ukraine tells them. Rafał Lemkin, an institution appointed by the Pilecki Institute to collect testimonies of civilians about crimes committed in Ukraine by Russian troops. study “We do not attack civilians... Green corridor in Lypiwiec as a trap for Russian business troops”, documents Russian attack on civilian vehicle evacuation column. The witnesses quoted in it told that the Russians had ordered them to hang white sheets, to tie white ribbons, and besides to compose that there were children in the car so that they knew who was going. erstwhile they left, the Russian soldier said: “You will go that way. Happy journey!” and waved their hand. erstwhile they left the village, the column was shot at by 4 Russian combat infantry wagons. People jumped out of burning cars and then snipers shot them.
During the Russian fire in Ukrainian cars there were about 50 civilians (including 9 children) and dogs and cats. Six people died, including 1 child. 7 people were injured, including 2 children. As the cars were on fire, “everything in the cars squealed, meowled, barked,” 1 of the witnesses testified. Animals burned or were shot at close scope on the road.
To the death meeting
In late March 2022, Russian troops left Kiev, writer Monika Andruszewska and Iryna Dowhan, a associate of the squad that papers for the Lemkin Centre Russian crimes in UkraineThey accidentally stumbled onto the road connecting the Lypic and Coroliwka to the column of burnt cars. The cars had bullet residue. There were dogs shot around, children's clothes, cosmetics, food packages scattered.
– In the surrounding towns we found witnesses of these events. We managed to collect the testimonies of 22 people who saw the massacre in Lypików, but were fortunate to have survived Russian fire," says Monika Andruszewska, coordinator of the report. any of them came to Warsaw to participate in the presentation of this document. Among them was Tetiana Siczewska, who lost her husband and daughter-in-law. She said: “There was a powerful fire. I saw the bullets flying through the car. Fear that can't be expressed in words. I realized we were going to a death meeting. Then I didn't see much. Only erstwhile I could turn around, I saw my husband – he no longer had half his head. We miraculously reached the Ukrainian police station, but the daughter-in-law was already dead. The shrapnel pierced her lungs. She managed to save her kid by covering it with her own body."
Charcoal bones
In 1 of the cars, human bones were burned. “This is all that is left of grandpa, parent and boy,” admits Monika Andrushewska. The study reads that erstwhile a bullet hit their car, there were 5 people – 2 children aged 6 and 11 and 3 adults. A younger kid and grandma survived. An older child, parent and grandpa died.
“ We were in the mediate of the column, ” says Grandma. 5 cars jumped, 2 before us – 1 stopped, the another stopped... erstwhile I turned my head, I saw a bullet flying. I see how it's going, specified an oval fire towards the car. He hit the roof of a car between my husband and me. I don't know how I survived. [...] Grandson says he jumped himself. But I think he was thrown out by the explosion. He saw everything. He saw Grandpa's hat fall off his head, his parent falling on the front seat, as if she had bent. He saw his small brother fall on the seat. [...] erstwhile it happened, I started shaking my husband. There were no traces of blood on it – I saw nothing, nothing. His head was just shaking, and all that, he showed no signs of life. [...] I got out and fell on the asphalt. Then I got up and pulled out the door. My daughter-in-law was sitting behind me. I pulled out the door, but I couldn't open it. Either they're stuck from the bullet, or they just... I can't say. [...]
I saw the car on fire. The ceiling upstairs started to burn. They were all wearing fluff jackets. I couldn't get them out. You couldn't lift your head through that fire. The jackets caught fire on them. I realized I couldn't get them out. [...] I found my grandson on the side of the road. Actually, I fell right next to him. A bullet fell close us. They fired and fired.”
No mistake.
The study states: “The shooting of the evacuation column was not an accidental action, there is no mistake. By creating a alleged green corridor to leave the occupied Lypivka, Russian soldiers deliberately lured into a deadly trap people who simply wanted to save their lives and their families. At a time erstwhile they guaranteed the safety of the departureers, which they most likely did to distract the Armed Forces of Ukraine stationed just 1.5 km away, they had already planned an attack on further towns of the Kiev Oblast.” Monika Andruszewska emphasizes that the study shows very well how much Russian safety guarantees and Russian promises are worth.
The National Prosecutor's Office asked the Pilecki Institute to establish cooperation and get witness testimony, as "they may constitute valuable evidence in ongoing investigations of war crimes committed in Ukraine". Prof. Krzysztof Ruchniewicz, manager of the Pilecki Institute, in the structures in which the Lemkina Centre operates, announced that further reports will be made documenting Russian war crimes.
Report “We do not attack civilians... The Green Corridor in Lypiwiec as a trap for Russian business troops” is available on the Pilecki Institute website.
