In newly-liberated Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, the bodies of 320 civilians and 18 servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have already been exhumed at the cemetery, which was formed during the occupation of the city by the Russian army.
This was reported by Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor Oleksandr Filchakov on the evening of 21 September, Suspilne reported.
According to him, 445 graves have been discovered in the cemetery with some of them having two to four bodies buried together.
“A very large number of those exhumed have mine-explosive injuries, also many have numerous broken bones, there are also signs of torture,” said Filchakov.
Exhumation of those buried at the occupation-time cemetery in Izium is going to end by the end of 23 September, the prosecutor said. Then the groups will work at other burial locations, 3-5 of which have already been discovered.
There may be thousands of people who died during the occupation in the Izium district, according to Stepan Maselskyi, the head of the district administration.
“Every day we find buried people near the [high-rise house] entrances, we find them on the tree-lines, a lot of people buried [their dead] by themselves in their households. Especially at the beginning, [those killed] in [Russian] airstrikes, artillery strikes,” said Maselskyi.
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Izium will be remembered… along with Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel, Mariupol & other de-occupied places yet to be revealed.
93rd Kholodny Yar Brigade was deployed near Izium for 5 long months. Today, they finally return to places of heavy battle & search for bodies of fallen comrades. pic.twitter.com/SroIUJyxvR
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 21, 2022
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