Evacuation Efforts in War-Torn Kostiantynivka

Rescue teams carried lists of residents who were finally ready to leave an area devastated by Russian attacks. The place had no electricity, gas, heating, or running water. Food and shelter were scarce.

Rescuers called out to windows and balconies, urging stragglers, many elderly and infirm, to gather their essentials and evacuate. A disabled woman was carried with her wheelchair to a waiting van.

Driving into Kostiantynivka is perilous. Streets are blocked by rubble and pocked by craters, with drones constantly overhead. This was described by Evgeny Tkachev, from the U.N.-supported group Proliska.

Before the conflict, Kostiantynivka had around 67,000 residents. By January, the number had reduced to about 2,000. The city became a key target in the Russian offensive and remained critical for Ukrainian defense.