Russian troops launched a surprise nighttime raid on Saturday in Hrabovske, a village in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region. About 100 invading soldiers quickly rounded up 52 residents and 13 Ukrainian soldiers. According to Viktor Trehubov, spokesman for Ukraine's Joint Forces Task Force, civilians were first gathered inside a church before being taken across the border to Russia. Most abducted villagers were elderly people who refused to leave despite evacuation orders. "It was a smash and grab," said Lt-Col Trehubov. "They quickly rounded everyone up and quickly removed them. This had never happened before." Ukraine says the civilians may have been taken to Belgorod, a Russian city about 80 km inside Russia. Volodymyr Bitsak, a Sumy regional council member, shared, "My friends' mother has been taken there. There is no way of contacting her even though they tried." Fighting continues in parts of Hrabovske, though reports suggest Russian troops have captured the village. Moscow confirmed Ukrainian forces were "hit" in Sumy region attacks. Meanwhile, in eastern Donetsk, Ukraine withdrew troops from Siversk to save soldiers' lives as Russian forces advance toward major cities 35 km away. Efforts to evacuate civilians from the border areas are ongoing, but 56% of locals refuse to leave. About 32,000 civilians, including 604 children, remain in these risky zones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed shock at reports that children were among those captured. "I'm surprised there were children. I'm simply surprised that parents treated their children like that," he said. Many villagers did not expect to be taken by Russian forces. Ukraine's ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, called the abductions a "serious violation of international humanitarian law," noting the captives were "held incommunicado and in improper conditions." He added these actions break the laws and customs of war by forcibly deporting civilians. This abduction tactic is unusual as invading forces generally establish stronger control before forcibly moving civilians across borders. The event raises serious concerns about civilian safety amid escalating conflict.