The bodies of 44 civilians were found in the ruins of a five-story building in the town of Izium, which is now controlled by the Russian military, according to the head of the Kharkiv regional military government.
Oleh Syniehubov said the building was “completely destroyed by the occupiers” but it was not clear when it happened.
Russian forces controlled Izium for almost two months. Before that, the town had been heavily disputed and heavily shelled.
Syniehubov says that locals who stayed in Izium excavated the site.
“There is no special equipment for dismantling debris, everything is done by hand,” he said.
“And of course that doesn’t happen around the clock. When there’s no shelling, people go out and try to remove those barricades,” he added.
What is not clear is whether Russian forces in the area were aware of the operation and authorized the recovery of the bodies.
Syniebuhov says that since Izium was occupied, about 1,700 people have been evacuated while what he calls the “green corridor” still exists.
“After that, the occupiers didn’t allow people to go out or send humanitarian aid there,” he added.
He also said that Tsirkuny, a town near Kharkiv, had been liberated and described the scene there as a “comprehensive war crime”.
“There are a lot of houses destroyed, a lot of office buildings, schools. There are bodies, the bodies of civilians,” he said.
“The occupiers aren’t even taking their soldiers, they’re on the streets, in private homes, etc. We still have a lot of work to do to clear things up.”
What we know: The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office said a criminal case “for violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder” has been opened.
The prosecutor’s office said that from March 7 to 10, the Russian military “systematically shelled.” So far, the victims’ bodies have been removed from the rubble, and 14 people has been identified.”
