The bodies of 132 civilians were found shot dead at a Russian war crime site in Ukraine, officials said today.
The slain civilians were found in Makarov, a town in Kyiv Oblast and about 30 miles west of the capital. All died from bullet wounds, the town’s mayor said.
About 40 per cent of the town has been destroyed before Ukrainian troops recaptured it from Russian occupation on March 22. Officials have been counting the dead ever since.
Similar scenes have been found in the nearby town of Bucha, where more than 400 dead civilians were discovered. The majority had also been gunned down.
Workers unearthed bodies from a mass grave in the commuter town, as graphic evidence of dozens of killings emerged following the withdrawal of Russian forces.
It also comes after two Russian missiles struck a railway station in the eastern city of Kramatorsk, killing at least 52 people who were attempting to flee west.
According to reports, the town has a historic Jewish community. Putin – and Russian propaganda – has claimed Moscow’s invasion is ‘de-notifying Ukraine, as an attempt to justify the war.
‘As of yesterday, we have found 132 civilians who have been shot dead by the Russian orcs,’ Vadym Tokar, Makarov Village Head, said on television on Friday, April 8.
He added that 40 per cent of the town had been destroyed, saying it would not be possible to restore many of the buildings.