Russia used civilians as human shields, then shelled them near Kupiansk, Ukraine’s Khartiia says

Ukraine's Khartiia Corps has accused Russian forces of deliberately shelling civilians near a gas pipeline in Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, on October 13. The military unit reported that the civilians, comprising two women, a child, and several men, were led by Russian troops toward the Shebelinka–Ostrogozhsk gas pipeline before they came under repeated mortar and artillery fire.

Aerial reconnaissance footage captured casualties among the group. Khartiia warned that Russian media could misrepresent the footage to falsely accuse Ukrainian forces of attacking civilians. The shelling was reportedly fired from the eastern bank of the Oskil River, in territory controlled by Russian forces. Khartiia stated that Ukrainian forces did not open fire on the group.

The corps plans to submit the collected evidence for potential war crimes investigation, though they did not provide a confirmed number of casualties or further details about the individuals shown in the reconnaissance footage. The allegations have not been independently verified.