Horrific Massacre Revealed In Kyiv Suburb After Russian Retreat

NEW YORK (VINnews) — As Russian forces retreated out of Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, Ukrainian soldiers prepared to reenter the town. However they were totally unprepared for what they saw there: An apparent systematic massacre of many residents of the town, including the bodies of 20 people, all in civilian clothing, left lying in the streets of the town.

“All these people were shot, killed, in the back of the head,” mayor Anatoly Fedoruk told AFP.

Another 280 people have been buried in mass graves in Bucha while the bodies of whole families still lie in shot-up cars, he said.

One person has his hands tied behind his back with a white cloth, and his Ukrainian passport left open beside his corpse, said AFP journalists who accessed the town.

Another lies next to a yellow hoarding spraypainted with happy and sad emojis and the words “Live Fast.”

The victims, all of whom appear to be men, are scattered over several hundred meters of debris-strewn tarmac.

Sixteen of the 20 corpses were lying either on the pavement or by the verge. Three were sprawled in the middle of the road, and another lay on his side in the courtyard of a destroyed house

Some lie in groups, like the two men lying face up in a puddle next to each other, one in a green parka and the other in a black jacket.

Others died alone. The cyclist with orange gloves and a black balaclava lying on his side with his bike on top of him, as if he has fallen and cannot get back up.

All were wearing civilian clothes — winter coats, jackets or tracksuit tops, jeans or jogging bottoms, and trainers or boots.

Two young boys are among the victims strewn on the street.

U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Saturday said she was “appalled” by the images captured in Bucha and said she was working to collect evidence of war crimes.

“Reports of Russian forces targeting innocent civilians are abhorrent,” she tweeted. “The UK is working with others to collect evidence and support [International Criminal Court] war crimes investigation. Those responsible will be held to account.”

Israel’s ambassador to Ukraine condemned the apparent massacre of civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha.

“Deeply shocked by the photos from Bucha. Killing of civilians is a war crime and cannot be justified,” Michael Brodsky tweeted.