Authorities discovered new mass graves containing tortured remains of Ukrainians in various towns of the nation. It comes amid warning to residents in the eastern nation to flee from Russian attacks.
The remains were discovered in a ditch near a gas station, according to Taras Didych, the leader of the Dmytrivka community, which encompasses Buzova and many other adjacent settlements.
Remains in Ditch Show Devastation Left by Russian Forces
The number of dead discovered in the Buzova grave, which had been held by Russian soldiers for weeks, has yet to be confirmed. Local officials were unable to confirm the allegation immediately, Mirror reported
The bodies discovered in the graves were clothed in a combination of civilian and military attire. Several settlements around Kyiv, notably Makariv, Bucha, Irpin, and Dmytrivka, were under continual bombardment as Russian soldiers launched an onslaught towards the city in the initial weeks of Moscow's invasion.
Local media claimed in early April that roughly 30 remains had been discovered in and around Buzova. With the majority of the towns and villages around Kyiv already retaken, the discovery of mass graves and civilian casualties has sparked a wave of international outrage, particularly over killings in Bucha, northwest of the city.
Meanwhile, officials claimed two people were killed in shelling in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, in the northeast, on Sunday morning, a day after 10 civilians were killed in a blast to the city's southeast.
President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his condemnation of atrocities against civilians after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, stating the two had agreed that "all perpetrators of war crimes must be identified and punished."
Ukraine's prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, also announced that the government was investigating 500 senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, for alleged participation in thousands of war crimes.
Although the threat to Kyiv has diminished, Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine is ready for a major battle with Russian troops massing in the country's east. Ukraine's officials have advised civilians in the country's east to flee, as per Daily Mail.
Churches Invoke Faith, Hope, Charity
The remains of 132 citizens were discovered shot dead just hours earlier in Makariv, a town in Kyiv Oblast some 30 miles west of the capital. According to the mayor of the town, all of the victims died as a result of gunshot wounds.
According to sources, over 40% of the town has been devastated since Ukrainian soldiers reclaimed it from Russian control on March 22. Since then, officials have been keeping track of the deceased.
Similar sites have been revealed in the neighboring town of Bucha, where over 400 residents have been found dead. The vast majority had likewise been assassinated. Following the evacuation of Russian soldiers, workers found remains from a mass grave in the commuter town, revealing grisly proof of dozens of deaths.
Visitors to the church invoked God on the day that Pope Francis called for an Easter truce in Ukraine to allow for a negotiated peace.
Some of the millions of Ukrainians who fled over the border or to other areas of the nation have been able to return home as a result of Russia's withdrawal from the territory around Kyiv. Some people are reporting damage to or destruction of their houses of worship, ABC News reported.
At least 59 spiritual facilities, including churches, mosques, and synagogues, were struck in late March, according to Ukrainian officials. The blessing will be delivered at a church in another community that has survived war damage, according to the priest, for Easter, which is two weeks away in the Orthodox world.