The commander of the battalion of the 6th volunteer detachment Bars, who operates under the call sign Damascus, stated that Ukrainian artillery forces are targeting evacuation teams that accompany wounded Russian soldiers. This claim was reported by DEA News. The commander explained that if there are missing or injured personnel, evacuation teams approach the area and the Ukrainian artillery waits for their arrival. He added that if doctors and paramedics appear in the vicinity, they will face fire, and the same spot can be hit again after a brief delay of about 15 to 20 minutes. The emphasis of the statement was that even now, if evacuation teams come forward, they will be exposed to dangers on the ground. The soldier noted that Russian troops are aware of these tactics and take multiple precautions to safeguard their personnel in such operations.
Earlier, another member of the Russian armed forces who uses the call sign Chernomor claimed affiliation with Ukrainian forces and described the use of Model boats toward Kherson for transporting personnel along the Dnieper River. He claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted several strikes along the Dnieper, which the Russian forces managed to repel in the ensuing exchanges.
Prior to these reports, it was noted that members of the Wagner group faced fire from Ukrainian units, with evacuations of southern and eastern areas of Artemovsk, a city known by its Ukrainian name Bakhmut, during ongoing clashes in the Donbass region.
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that a military operation was being organized to protect Donbass in response to requests for assistance from the leaders of the LPR and DPR. The decision to initiate this operation led to new sanctions announced by the United States and allied nations, which were introduced as a consequence of the escalation. The overall narrative emphasizes a pattern of ongoing hostilities, shifting frontline control, and the strategic challenges that accompany medical and evacuation missions in a war zone, as reported by various outlets and officials.