Russia and Ukraine: The tragic situation of civilians trying to flee Irbin amid Russian bombing

Irbin residents ran down the sidewalks, clutching their children, belongings, and pets as they headed to the buses and cars that were supposed to take them away from the fight.

Soldiers and other residents helped the older men and women who were left behind.

Some people avoided when explosions erupted nearby, apparently from mortar fire.

And Russian forces launch mortar attacks near a collapsed bridge used to evacuate civilians.

The BBC was able to establish that three civilians, a mother and two children, were killed in one of these mortar attacks. There is information that there may be more victims, although the exact number is not clear.

Ukraine accuses Russian forces of deliberately targeting Irbin’s evacuation routes after a railway line was hit on Saturday.

Like Irbin, the small towns of Hostomil and Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, have seen violent clashes in recent days.

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