By Leo Chiu
Copyright kyivpost
Ukraine’s 11th Army Corps has accused Moscow troops of disguising themselves as civilians during a recent sabotage mission in Yampil, Donetsk region, using local civilians as “human shields.”
Yampil is a Kyiv-controlled settlement in the Donetsk region, approximately 11 km (7 miles) from Lyman, a Ukrainian stronghold. The capture of Ukraine’s Donetsk region is among Moscow’s official war goals.
The 11th Army Corps on Monday evening accused the Russian Armed Forces of hiding in buildings in Yampil while dressed as civilians, calling the move a “gross violation of international humanitarian law.”
“The enemy in civilian clothes, disguised as civilians, tried to infiltrate the settlement of Yampil and conduct sabotage work behind the Defense Forces,” the 11th Corps wrote in its Telegram update.
“Separate enemy groups hid in private houses, basements and other structures, using local residents as a ‘human shield,’” it added.
The move is known as “perfidy” under international humanitarian law.
“Under the Statute of the International Criminal Court, ‘killing or wounding treacherously individuals belonging to the hostile nation or army’ constitutes a war crime in international armed conflicts,” according to the Red Cross International.
The 11th Corps said the Russian troops were “detected, blocked and neutralized,” adding that the area remains under Ukrainian control despite the incursion.
According to the open-source battlefield map DeepState UA, the northeastern part of Yampil is contested as of Monday, Sept. 15.
The 11th Corps claimed the incident is a frequent occurrence, adding that work is ongoing to monitor and counter such moves.
“It is worth noting that the enemy is trying to find ways to infiltrate in small groups, using terrain and the presence of civilian buildings,” the update says.
It is unclear when the latest incursion took place, and the 11th Army Corps did not supply videos or photos of the alleged incursion. Kyiv Post cannot verify the full circumstances of the incident.
However, other Ukrainian units have reported similar incidents in the past.
In January, Ukraine’s 28th Special Rifle Brigade, citing drone footage, claimed that Russian troops, disguised as civilians, conducted reconnaissance and sabotage activities, according to state media Ukrinform.
In another incident, The Telegraph reported that two Russian troops were seen wearing the uniform of Ukraine’s state postal service Ukrposhta during an August operation targeting Pokrovsk, another Ukrainian stronghold in the region.
