rear mass grave Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said there was “clear evidence” of war crimes committed by Russian forces and called on the world to “react” to Moscow’s atrocities.
About 450 civilian bodies were found in Izym, northeast of Kharkiv, believed to be the victims of Russian forces, according to local authorities. According to Ukrainian law enforcement and local authorities, the bodies of nearly 20 Ukrainian soldiers appeared to have been dumped in one of his graves, alongside civilian graves.
“The world has to react to all of this,” Zelensky said in an address to the nation Friday night.
“There is already clear evidence of torture and humiliating treatment of people, and there is evidence that Russian soldiers not far from there shot at the burial sites for fun,” Zelensky said. said.
He said it was too early to establish the exact number of people buried at the site.
Izm was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in Kyiv a week ago surprise counterattack In the Kharkiv region, six months after the Russian occupation.
Zelensky describes death in Izyum as Kyiv suburb in BuchaOver 400 civilians were found dead after weeks of Russian occupation. Ukrainian authorities found the bodies of civilians apparently tied up and shot at close range, as well as mass graves. did.
Ukrainian authorities have uncovered several “torture chambers” where imprisoned locals and foreigners were held in liberated territory in the Kharkov region, Zelensky said Friday night. Among the foreigners, he said, seven of his Sri Lankans who were students at a local medical college were found.
“In March they were captured by Russian soldiers, after which they were locked in a cellar. It has been.”
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken Said Death in IsmIt is necessary to activate support for Ukraine against Russia. Brinken tweeted, “The report of the mass grave of 440 men, women and children in Izym, Ukraine is heartbreaking. We support Ukraine in seeking accountability for these crimes.” increase.”
The EU’s head of foreign policy, Josep Borrell, said the European Union was “deeply shocked” by the Izyum discovery. “We condemn these atrocities in the strongest terms possible,” he said. statement“Russia, its political leaders, and all those implicated in Ukraine’s ongoing violations of international law and international humanitarian law will be held accountable.”
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin Said On Friday night, despite recent setbacks, Russia will continue to push for war against Ukraine.
In Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Putin said in his first official comments on the Kyiv counterattack that “plans will not be coordinated.”
“The main objective is to liberate the entire territory of Donbass. This work continues despite the fact that the Ukrainian army is about to launch a counteroffensive,” Putin said. “Let’s see [the counteroffensive] unfold and how it ends.