AVDIIVKA, Ukraine — Pale and dirty from residing in a dank, darkish basement for practically a yr, {the teenager} and his weeping mom emerged to the sound of pounding artillery and headed to a ready armored police van that may whisk them to security.

Russian forces weren’t removed from their battered front-line city of Avdiivka in jap Ukraine, the place shells fall day by day, ripping by way of buildings, smashing automobiles and leaving craters.

Darkish, curly hair peeping out from beneath his hoodie, 15-year-old Oleksii Mazurin was one of many final youths nonetheless residing there. After his evacuation Friday, one other 13 remained, mentioned police chief Roman Protsyk.

Earlier than the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, about 25,000 individuals lived in Avdiivka. Regardless of the shelling, about 2,000 civilians stay, Protsyk mentioned.

For months, authorities have been urging civilians in areas close to the preventing to evacuate to safer elements of the nation. However whereas many have heeded the decision, others — together with households with kids — have steadfastly refused.

So it has fallen to police to attempt to persuade individuals to depart. A particular unit referred to as the White Angels threat their lives to go into front-line villages and cities, knocking on doorways and pleading with the few remaining residents to evacuate.

In early March, the federal government issued an order for the obligatory evacuation of households with kids from fight areas. Below the order, kids should be accompanied by a father or mother or guardian. But it surely presently applies solely to Bakhmut, the hard-hit jap metropolis the place preventing has raged for months.

“The obligatory evacuation order is sadly solely in drive in Bakhmut. In Avdiivka, this legislation will not be adopted,” mentioned White Angels policeman Gennadiy Yudin. “We’re driving round to all of the households. We’re warning them, we’re informing them concerning the evacuation.”

In Bakhmut itself, the scenario is so harmful that civilian evacuations are exceptionally dangerous.

“I already suppose that for Bakhmut, it’s too late,” Protsyk mentioned. “Right here in our area, … if such a choice can be made now, it might be protected.”

However with out a obligatory evacuation order, the palms of the police are tied. All they will do is use their powers of persuasion.

For Oleksii’s mom, 37-year-old, Svitlana Mazurina, the choice to lastly depart was powerful.

“It’s exhausting whenever you’ve lived on this city from delivery,” she mentioned. “Now I’m leaving I don’t know to the place, the place nobody wants me. I don’t know the place or what to begin with.”

Mazurina had been residing within the constructing’s basement together with her associate and Oleksii for practically a yr, fearing the bombs lower than leaving for an unknown vacation spot and an unsure future. Her associate nonetheless gained’t depart, saying he fears being drafted into the military.

“I agreed solely as a result of I really feel sorry for the kid,” Mazurina mentioned. “I need him to reside properly.”

And residing properly is now not attainable in Avdiivka. Dwelling in any respect is a recreation of probability.

Moments earlier than the evacuation of the mom and son and just some streets away, one other residence constructing was hit by an airstrike. Your complete nook of the residence block was gone, decreased to smoldering rubble as flames and black smoke billowed from the gaping gap the bomb left within the 15-story construction.

As Yudin and a fellow White Angels policeman surveilled the harm, the wail of incoming artillery pierced the air. They dived to the bottom because the detonation reverberated by way of the shattered panorama of bombed-out buildings and splintered timber. Because the sound died down, they picked themselves up and headed to Mazurina’s residence constructing.

However not all makes an attempt to evacuate civilians are profitable. Protsyk, the police chief, described households hiding their kids from authorities, or accusing police of attempting to kidnap them.

Within the close by village of Netailove, so near the entrance line that the sound of taking pictures sounded throughout the fields on the village outskirts, the police tried — and failed — to steer an adolescent’s household that it was time to go.

“Drop all the things, I can’t think about it,” mentioned Natalya, wiping tears from her eyes. “I simply need to die. I can’t reside with out a house.”

Her son, 14-year-old Maksim, mentioned he wished to remain, as did his father, Andreii. Natalya was in favor of evacuation however wouldn’t depart them. The household didn’t give their surname.

Time and again, the police tried to persuade them: “What if a shell destroys your own home? What if you’re injured?”

Natalya replied: “It’s higher to die quick.”

A policeman countered, “However the little one will reside and reside. A toddler’s life is necessary.”

The argument was to no avail. Maksim stood exterior his house, his hoodie pulled over his head to thrust back the morning chilly.

He didn’t flinch on the sound of exploding artillery. Nobody did — the shelling has grow to be the common backdrop of their lives.

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Vasilisa Stepanenko in Avdiivka contributed.

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Comply with AP’s protection of the struggle in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine