Exhumation at mass burial site near Izium completed, 447 bodies removed from graves – prosecutors
Law enforcers have completed the exhumation of the bodies from a mass burial site near Izium, which was found after the territory had been liberated from the Russian occupation in early September, the press service of Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office has said.
"On September 16-23, within the framework of criminal cases on the violation of the laws and rules of the warfare and on the murders (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), 447 bodies of the deceased were exhumed: 425 civilians, including five children, and 22 Ukrainian servicemen were killed by the occupiers," it said.
The investigators have started to carry out forensic examinations of each of the exhumed bodies, Prosecutor of Kharkiv region Oleksandr Filchakov said.
"We are waiting for their results and will take all necessary measures to establish the circumstances of death of these people and punish the Russian military. […] For each death the Russians will be brought to justice in international court in front of the whole world," he said.
The deceased have bodily injuries in the form of mine-explosive, shrapnel, gunshot and stab wounds. Several of them had their arms tied, broken bones and ropes on their necks.
As reported, on September 23, Head of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov said that the law enforcers exhumed 436 bodies and were planning to finish the exhumation procedure at the mass burial site on Saturday.
From March 7 until September 10, Izium was occupied by the Russian forces.