Ukrainian police find bodies of three more civilians near Bucha 

The Kyiv regional police have found the bodies of three civilians near the settlement of Makariv in Ukraine’s Bucha district. One of the dead civilians was a citizen of the Czech Republic, regional police chief Andriy Nebytov stated.

The bodies of three men were found in a ditch. The police added that a tripwire with an F-1 grenade was discovered near the grave.

“Two men were killed with a shot in the head, one was shot in the stomach. Documents of one of the dead men were found at the burial site; he was a citizen of the Czech Republic. We have the relevant information on him. Two other men have not been identified yet, but they were wearing civilian clothes. We will investigate what caused their disappearance on the territory of Ukraine,” Nebytov said.

The 49-year old Czech national worked in Ukraine as a trucker. After February 24, he worked as a volunteer, the police stated, adding that his wife and brother are in the Czech Republic. They lost contact with him on March 3.

The local law enforcement also reported that the body of a retired police officer was found near the settlement of Rykivka in the Vyshhorod district. Nebytov stated that the man had left to get wood in March and did not return home. According to the police, the man was stripped and then shot dead.

“Signs of torture were found on his body. Gunshot wounds were documented in the area of his torso,” Nebytov said.

Russian troops pulled out of the Kyiv region in early April. Shortly after that, mass civilian deaths were reported in numerous cities and villages in the region, including Bucha, which was occupied by Russia since the start of the invasion on February 24.

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that the Russian army had left the city on March 30, dismissing the reports of civilian deaths in Bucha as “another provocation.”

Mayor of Bucha Anatoliy Fedoruk said in late April that exhumation and identification of bodies in Bucha was nearly complete. According to the mayor, 412 dead bodies were found as of April 23, however, this number may change.