"At Least 440 Bodies Found"…Mass Grave Discovered in Ukraine's Izyum After Russian Troops Withdraw

Zelensky: "Russian Military Crimes Must Be Thoroughly Investigated and Punished"

A Ukrainian soldier is using a metal detector to identify a mass grave in Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, in the northeast, recently reclaimed from Russian forces, on the 15th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Ukrainian authorities recently announced the discovery of a mass grave in the eastern city of Izium, which was recently recaptured from Russian forces.

On the 16th (local time), according to CNN and AP News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in a national address the previous day, "A massive mass burial site has been found in Izium near Kharkiv." He added, "Our military is currently taking necessary measures on site," and "We plan to announce the investigated facts with clearer evidence around tomorrow."

Authorities claimed that some of the graves found in Izium were recently made and that most of the bodies buried there are civilians. Izium, which had been occupied by Russian forces for five months, was subjected to Russian shelling and missile attacks in April. Ukrainian forces recaptured Izium last week, regaining control.

There are also testimonies that at least 440 bodies were found in the mass grave. Sergey Volvynov, an investigator from the Kharkiv regional police, told UK Sky News, "At least 440 bodies were found in the mass grave near Izium," adding, "It is the largest mass grave discovered in the recaptured areas." According to Volvynov, the buried bodies appear to have died from gunshots, shelling, mine attacks, airstrikes, and most of the bodies have not yet been identified.

President Zelensky emphasized, "The massacres that occurred in Mariupol and Bucha have unfortunately been repeated in Izium," and said, "Russian forces left numerous bodies everywhere. Their crimes must be thoroughly investigated and punished." He added, "The international community must hold Russia, the war criminal state in this war, accountable in a practical way." Previously, mass graves were also found in northern Bucha and southern Mariupol in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the day before, Pope Francis defined arms support to Ukraine, which is fighting against the Russian invasion, as a "morally permissible act." The New York Times (NYT) explained, "Initially, the Pope seemed to uphold the Vatican’s long-standing tradition of neutrality following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but ultimately clearly stated that Russia is the aggressor in this war."

However, Pope Francis did not consider all Western military support to Ukraine as morally acceptable. He pointed out that support intended to "trigger more wars, sell weapons, or dispose of unnecessary arms" is immoral.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.