Life in the frontline town of Lyman remains dangerous even for civilians trying to hold on to their homes despite shelling, destruction, and the lack of basic communications. In a city where drones pose a threat right in the middle of residential areas, another tragedy has befallen a 17-year-old boy who lost his arm after a drone exploded.
Teenager blown up by drone explosion
As reported by the Donetsk regional police, a 17-year-old boy was seriously injured by a drone explosion in Lyman, Donetsk region. The boy was going to get a log that his family wanted to use to prop up the wall of a damaged house, but a drone detonated nearby.
The victim’s mother said that her son crossed the road, leaned on a piece of wood and did not notice the drone, which could be waiting in ambush. After the explosion, the teenager lost his arm.
“My son went across the road on a log to prop up the wall: our wall is collapsing. He did not see the drone — it was sitting in ambush or something. He leaned on the log, and it exploded,” the woman said.
After being wounded, the military evacuated the young man to Dnipro, where he was hospitalized. Law enforcement officials reported that his mother, 12-year-old sister, and neighbor were also taken out of Lyman later.
The evacuees are in an appropriate center, where social services are taking care of them. This was the second time this family had left the city, as they were taken out of Lyman by workers of the White Angel evacuation group in 2024.
Family already returned after evacuation
According to police, last year this family already left the dangerous city after law enforcement intervention. An archive video released by police shows that during the previous evacuation, the mother was hiding the children from the White Angel group and assuring them that there was no one else at home.
Then the woman was taken to Sloviansk with her son and daughter. According to her, the family spent four days in the hospital, lived with friends for another two weeks, and then returned to Liman independently via roundabout routes.
The police noted that returning to the frontline city was a heavy loss for the teenager. Law enforcement officers emphasize that the situation in Liman remains critical, and the risks to civilians are increasing due to constant attacks and the use of drones.
Donetsk police say Russian troops continue to pound Lyman, with drones posing a threat to residents right in the middle of residential areas. The city has no communications, but some people still refuse to leave.
According to law enforcement, about 1,900 residents remain in Lyman despite the deadly threat. Evacuation teams continue to evacuate civilians from the settlement, where a simple attempt to repair a damaged house can result in serious injury or death.
