DONETSK, April 10. /TASS/. Ukrainian forces opened fire on a group of medics that were deployed to evacuate the wounded near Avdeyevka, Yan Gagin, an adviser to the interim head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, told TASS on Monday.
"Ukrainian forces again shelled medics that were trying to evacuate the wounded near Avdeyevka. They hit them with heavy artillery. Miraculously, no one was hurt as everybody was able to take cover," he said.
Gagin said the incident occurred on April 5 but wasn’t previously reported.
The medics that came under fire told TASS they were riding in a typical Gazel medical minivan, which was severely damaged during the attack. According to the medics, Ukrainian forces deliberately target medics and evacuation teams.
"They track medics on the frontline and at permanent duty stations, trying to destroy medical outposts and field hospitals," one of them told TASS.
According to DPR medics, Ukrainian forces aren’t only shelling field hospitals, but also civilian medical facilities. A representative of the Central District Hospital in Yasinovataya told TASS the staff cover the hospital’s windows with thick fabric to avoid being targeted by Ukrainian fire.
"The hospital is essentially close to the front line. There’s the famous Avdeyevka industrial area, onto which one side of the hospital looks out. We cover all that side with thick fabric, so we are not targeted by Ukrainian forces at night," said Sergey Dzhelomanov, the hospital’s chief doctor.
He said the hospital quite often becomes a target of Ukrainian shelling. Its facade is riddled with shrapnel from large-caliber artillery rounds, and the food service building has taken a direct hit. According to Dzhelomanov, the hospital had to replace 70 window panes as a result of the bombardments.