Ukrainian authorities demonstrated to international media the removal of five bodies from a dungeon bushA suburb of Kyiv was recently recaptured by the Ukrainian army.
A CNN team visited the basement and saw the bodies before they were removed. They were in the advanced stage of decomposition.
An adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko told CNN that five people were tortured and killed by Russian troops. CNN could not independently verify Gerashenko’s claims.
These people were found in the area occupied by the Russian army till a few days ago. Several foxholes, ditches and places for armored vehicles were still visible around the site, as were the rest of the Russian rations. Several “V” letters – the unofficial symbol for the Russian military campaign – were also depicted at the entrance to the arena.
The hands of the dead were tied behind their backs, and most of them were shot not only on the head, but also on the lower limbs. Several cartridges were lying on the floor next to the corpses.
Volunteers retrieved the bodies and placed them in body bags, which were later taken away.
A volunteer told CNN they were recovering a large number of bodies, adding, “It’s in the hundreds, not dozens.” The volunteer and his unit showed CNN the body bags of at least 30 people recovered on Sunday, as well as an additional nine on Monday, including five found in the basement.
This unit is one of several units operating on the outskirts of Kyiv.