In his nightly address on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation in the town of Borodyanka is “much worse” than in Bucha.
Ukrainian authorities said on Thursday they pulled 26 bodies out of the rubble in Borodyanka, where residents say Russian forces would not allow rescue attempts and many people were buried alive.
“The work on dismantling the debris in Borodyanka began. … It’s much worse there,” Zelensky said in his Thursday address. “Even more victims of the Russian occupiers.”
In Borodyanka, about 30 miles northwest of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said 90% of its 13,000 residents were able to evacuate during the Russian assault. Almost every building along the town’s main street is damaged or destroyed, according to reports.
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Ukraine’s Defense Ministry published a video showing massive destructions in Borodyanka, a liberated town about 40 km northwest of Kyiv with a pre-war population of 13,000.
“They wanted to do the same with the whole of Ukraine.
But our army fought back,” the ministry wrote. pic.twitter.com/ix0jasxXFx— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) April 6, 2022
Authorities combing the debris left by two buildings reportedly hit by Russian missiles found 26 bodies on Thursday, according to Ukraine’s prosecutor general. More bodies are expected to be found. Russian soldiers reportedly shot at rescuers in the immediate aftermath of the airstrike, according to reports.
“Occupiers did not allow local residents to dismantle houses they destroyed during the assault. According to local residents, judging by the groans, many of those buried alive were dying for a week,” Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said on Twitter.
Borodyanka. A woman waits for her family to be unearthed from under the rubble. Occupiers did not allow local residents to dismantle houses they destroyed during the assault. According to local residents, judging by the groans, many of those buried alive were dying for a week. pic.twitter.com/TsG41G0MWr
— Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 7, 2022
A photograph reportedly taken in Borodyanka showed a white car with the word “children” written on the side of it that was reportedly attacked by Russian soldiers. Children’s clothing can be seen lying next to the wrecked vehicle.
Near Borodyanka. A white Ford marked “children” was attacked by Russian soldiers. You can see kids’ socks lying next to a spare wheel a few feet from the wreck. pic.twitter.com/swbLredTRv
— Michael Weiss ????? (@michaeldweiss) April 7, 2022
Earlier this week, Zelensky cautioned that the massacre of hundreds of civilians in Bucha may not be the worst of the atrocities apparently committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.
More than 300 civilians were killed and tortured by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military forces in Bucha, according to Ukrainian officials.
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Russia has denied that its military committed the atrocities in Bucha, accusing Ukraine and Western media outlets of staging scenes of civilian deaths.
Germany’s intelligence agency claimed it intercepted Russian military radio messages discussing the killing of civilians in Bucha and possibly other parts of Ukraine, according to a report on Thursday.
