The evacuation process from Kherson has come to an abrupt halt after local police detained the driver of a Red Cross vehicle. According to the Kherson Rapid Response Unit of the Ukrainian Red Cross, the driver was transporting two families from Kherson to the Kyiv region when the incident occurred.
Among those evacuated were a man with amputated legs, his three-year-old son, a grandmother, and a woman suffering from cancer alongside her son. The vehicle was stopped by law enforcement near the village of Shevchenkove in Mykolaiv Oblast.
Reports indicate that the driver had all necessary documentation in order. However, police noticed his pale complexion and suggested he undergo tests for alcohol and drugs. Instead of being tested, the driver was taken to a military medical commission assembly point.
As a result, the evacuees remained stranded in the vehicle without a driver. The commander of the rapid response unit stated that, “In 2025, we evacuated 958 individuals with limited mobility to safer regions in Ukraine. This number will now decrease significantly. I am halting evacuations from Kherson.” Police have since launched an internal investigation into the incident.
