Ukrainian authorities have found a mass grave in woods near the northeastern town of Izyum, days after recapturing it from occupying Russian forces.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the discovery of the burial site — containing some 440 bodies — in his address to the country on Thursday night.
A regional police official said earlier that some of those killed had died in shelling or air raids.
Journalists who travelled to the site described hundreds of graves marked with simple wooden crosses among the trees. A larger grave bore a marker saying it contained the bodies of 17 Ukrainian soldiers.
Investigators were using metal detectors to look for any hidden explosives.
“I can say it is one of the largest burial sites in a big town in liberated [areas] … 440 bodies were buried in one place,” says Serhiy Bolvinov, the chief police investigator for the Kharkiv region.“Some died because of artillery fire … some died because of air strikes.”
Russia has denied targeting civilians or committing war crimes.
Zelenskyy said Russia leaves death everywhere. And it must be held accountable for it. The world must bring Russia to real responsibility for this war.”
