Topline
Over 900 civilian bodies have been found in the region of Kyiv, Ukraine, since Russian forces withdrew from the area, the regional police chief said on Friday, with many of the victims discovered in the northwestern suburb of Bucha, as the country continues to collect evidence many believe shows war crimes committed by Russian forces.
A cemetery worker takes a break from working on the graves of civilians killed in Bucha.
Key Facts
95% of civilians died from sniper fire and gunshot wounds, according to Andriy Nebytov, Kyiv’s regional police chief, who said people were “simply executed in the streets,” according to the Associated Press.
More than 350 bodies have been found in the northwestern suburb of Bucha.
Many bodies were left in the streets or temporarily buried, and police continue to find more corpses each day buried in mass graves and under rubble, Nebytov said.
Russian forces were targeting people who voiced strong pro-Ukrainian sentiments, the police chief said, according to AP.
The United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights estimated earlier on on Friday that a total of 1,982 people had been killed and 2,651 had been injured in Ukraine since the start of the war in February, although the organization said the actual numbers are likely much higher.
Russia at the end of March said 1,351 soldiers had died in the war, but NATO estimated the same week that anywhere from 7,000 to 15,000 Russians had been killed.
Key Background
The rising death toll comes two weeks after reports first emerged that hundreds of civilians’ bodies in Bucha had been found after Russian forces withdrew from the region. Workers in Bucha collected and buried bodies in the Kyiv suburb while it was occupied by the Russians, Nebytov said on Friday. Ukraine is sending hundreds of people to investigate war crimes in Bucha as leaders around the world and international organizations condemn the apparent massacre. Offering his first remarks on the atrocities this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin called images of the Bucha events “fake.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also estimated that tens of thousands of residents have died in the city of Mariupol, where Russian troops targeted a hospital and theater serving as an air raid shelter.
Further Reading
Police: Over 900 civilians dead in Kyiv area (Associated Press)
Putin Says Peace Talks At ‘Dead End’ And Calls Bucha Images ‘Fake’ (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/04/15/more-than-900-civilians-dead-in-kyiv-police-chief-says/