A total of 1,288 bodies of civilians were found on the territory of the Kyiv region, which was occupied by the Russian army in February and March, regional police chief Andriy Nebytov stated, quoted by Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
“The majority of them were shot with automatic weapons,” he said. According to Nebytov, police still find new burial sites with civilian bodies in the region.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) recorded 22 apparent cases of executions on the territory of the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions carried out during the Russian occupation, HRW says in a statement published today. Besides, the organisation recorded nine killings of civilians, six possible enforced disappearances and seven cases of torture. HRW representatives visited a total of 17 Ukrainian settlements and towns.
A number of settlements and towns in Ukraine’s Kyiv region were occupied by Russian forces from 24 February until early April. The Russian Defence Ministry claims that the Russian army had left the region on 30 March. However, the ministry stated early on 1 April that it would carry out “a clearing operation” in this area. Shortly after the withdrawal of the Russian forces, mass civilian deaths were reported in numerous cities and villages in the region.
Russia has repeatedly refuted the accusations of unlawful killings of civilians, dismissing them as “a provocation” and “fake news”.