Ukraine’s Third Army Corps won’t just hold Donetsk fortress cities. It’s building mission to pull civilians out of them

Ukraine's Third Army Corps, led by Andrii Biletskyi, the founder of the Azov Battalion, is not only defending the Donetsk fortress cities but also building a mission to evacuate civilians trapped in those areas. This AB3.HUMANITARIAN initiative aims to save families, the elderly, children, and people with disabilities from Russian attacks, focusing on those who cannot leave on their own.

The 3rd Army Corps, based in Donetsk, has been tasked with stabilizing the front, where Russian forces have been attacking the fortress cities since 2014. As the fighting intensifies around towns like Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, civilians are in dire need of evacuation, often under fire. The Ukrainian soldiers are already accustomed to pulling residents out of settlements near the front, but the real challenge lies in the routes.

These roads are often watched by Russian drones, and approaches are too dangerous for conventional vehicles like buses or ambulances. To overcome these obstacles, the evacuation teams utilize ground robots, armored vehicles, motorboats, and other specialized equipment to reach areas that ordinary rescues cannot access. The military has increasingly relied on robots for logistics and evacuations, with over 100,000 robot missions carried out in the first eight months of 2026 alone.

A dedicated fund has been established to finance the vehicles and equipment needed for these evacuation teams, allowing them to conduct more trips to more places more frequently than would be possible through volunteer efforts. The Ukrainian Army urges people to leave early and prioritize the safety of themselves and their loved ones.

The message emphasizes that the lives of civilians are of paramount importance, and the window for evacuation narrows with every step the front line takes closer to the cities.