Ukrainian volunteers race to evacuate civilians from bomb-ravaged Kramatorsk

Intense Russian air raids and swarms of explosive FPV drones have devastated Kramatorsk, shattering homes, hospitals and shops and prompting officials to demand compulsory evacuation. Volunteer rescuers, such as Eduard of the East SOS foundation, risk their lives to collect civilians, navigating streets where drones hunt cars and ambulances. The scale of the operation now reaches over five hundred evacuations per day, with three hundred individuals escorted to the Lozova transit hub and the remainder departing in private vehicles or with family help.

The proximity of Russian forces—less than ten kilometres away—has made even nearby towns like Duzhkivka inaccessible without armored transport. As utilities are repeatedly struck, basic services collapse, leaving residents to hide in basements or attempt perilous journeys toward occupied territories.