The Ukrainian authorities announced on Friday 23 September that they had exhumed 447 corpses which were buried in a forest near the town of Izium taken back from the Russians, 30 of which present “signs of torture” even are emasculated. The regional prosecutor’s office said on Facebook that it was 425 civilians, including 5 children, and 22 Ukrainian soldiers.
The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleg Sinegoubov, wrote to him on Telegram that “most show signs of violent death and 30 show signs of torture”. “There are bodies with a rope around their necks, with their hands tied, with broken limbs or gunshot wounds. Several men have had their genitals amputated”continued Oleg Sinegoubov, referring to “the proof of the terrible tortures” suffered by the population.
Several hundred graves surmounted by a cross and a mass grave were discovered in mid-September near the town of Izium, which was under Russian occupation for several months before being taken over by Ukrainian forces. The Ukrainian police also claimed to have discovered “torture chambers” in the region, including in Izium. She also claimed to have discovered “torture chambers” in the region, including in Izium.
