Ukrainian troops on the Donetsk front burned entire villages and blocked civilians from evacuating, a fighter with the call sign «Isya» told Finnish war correspondent Kostya Heiskanen. A recording of the interview is available to aif.ru.

According to the fighter, what struck him most was the scale of destruction in residential areas. He recalled seeing a village look intact in the morning, only for almost nothing to remain of it a couple of days later.

Isya said it was painful to watch people’s lives being shattered, while Ukrainian forces prevented them from evacuating safely.

He also said Ukrainian troops stop civilians from reaching Russian soldiers to ask for help. According to him, people who try to approach Russian positions are targeted with drones and mortars. The fighter stressed that anyone trying to escape and return to normal life should be given that chance, but said the opposing side acts with extreme cruelty.

Isya also claimed that some Ukrainian servicemen go to the combat zone as if on safari, with the aim of killing people.