This article contains details some readers may find upsetting.
Relatives of a Ukrainian family killed during the ongoing Russian invasion claim they were intentionally targeted by Russian soldiers at a checkpoint in southern Ukraine while trying to flee as the conflict neared, the BBC reported Friday.
Oleg Fedko, a police officer in the city of Kherson, was forced to stay while his department was on full war alert on Feb. 24. His father came to assist Oleg's wife, Irina, and his two children, six-year-old Sofia and Ivan, an infant, to take temporary refuge at his house in Vesele.
The journey was successful. However, shortly after they arrived, Russian forces entered the village. The family decided to flee again to Nova Kakhovka, where they would meet with additional relatives.
The group was now larger and divided into two cars, the first carrying Oleg's aunt, also named Irina, uncle, and cousins. The second car hosted Oleg's parents, wife, and children.
Oleg's brother, Denis, told the outlet he was monitoring their moves by phone in Cherkasy when the first car passed through a Russian checkpoint.
While calling his mother, trying to convince her to re-route to Odessa, he heard her scream, "Oh my God, it's a child, how can you do that." He also said his sister-in-law was panicking.
"Then I heard the sound of shooting," Denis said. "The car stopped, and I heard the opened door beeping. I heard the baby cry. He cried, cried, cried. Then I heard [more] gunshots."
Denis' aunt frantically attempted to contact her sister, Denis' and Oleg's mother, but she was not answering. After others in the car were also not answering their phones, his aunt visited the checkpoint.
After approaching the location, Irina asked the Russian soldiers about their relatives. A soldier responded, "The driver didn't obey orders and nearly ran over an officer."
Irina then begged Russian soldiers to let her and her husband, Oleksandr, see the car.
"The front, the back, and both sides had bullet holes," she said.
"Ivan was pulled out by one of the soldiers. He was crying. I told them [Sofia] was also there and ran towards the car. Sofia was in the back seat," Oleksandr said. "I looked at her, and there was a hole in her chest."
The three adults — Oleg's parents and his wife — had been killed, but the children Ivan and Sofia were still alive with severe injuries. Denis' aunt and uncle brought the children to their car and rushed them to the hospital in Nova Kakhovka.
The doctors were not able to save them.
Denis said the "soldiers were nearby" while his six-year-old niece and less than two-month-old nephew were dying.
"They didn't even come to check on the people" in the car, Oleksandr said.
After a full day, the Russian military allowed the family to retrieve the bodies of the deceased adults. A doctor who inspected the bodies confirmed they died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Denis said his brother Oleg is continuing to work for the police department in Kherson even after the loss of his wife and children.
"He's doing everything to protect our citizens," Denis said. "But his pain of failing to protect his own family while defending the nation is unimaginable."
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