Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that a “mass burial site” has been found in the recently liberated city of Izium in eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky said more details about the mass graves will be made available on Friday. The Associated Press reported on Thursday that the mass burial site was located in a forest near Izium, marked by hundreds of wooden crosses.
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“A mass burial site was found in Izium, Kharkiv region,” Zelensky said in his nightly address on Thursday.
“The necessary procedural actions have already begun there. There should be more information, clear, verified information, tomorrow,” he continued, adding that Ukrainian and international journalists will be in Izium on Friday.
Most of the crosses seen by the Associated Press were only marked with numbers, but a larger grave had a marker indicating that the bodies of 17 Ukrainian soldiers were buried there. Investigators were scanning the site for hidden explosives on Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
A Ukrainian official told Sky News that 440 graves were found in Izium and that the bodies will be exhumed and evaluated for evidence of Russian war crimes.
Ukraine retook control of the city earlier this week after a successful counteroffensive in the eastern part of the country drove out Russian forces. Ukrainian forces reportedly were able to recapture almost all of Kharkiv Oblast.
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Ukrainian forces have discovered mass graves in other cities that have been liberated from Russian occupation, with some bodies showing signs of torture, according to Ukrainian officials.
“Bucha, Mariupol, now, unfortunately, Izyum … Russia leaves death everywhere. And it must be held accountable for that,” Zelensky said. “The world must hold Russia to real account for this war. We will do everything for this.”
