Many of the bodies recovered from nearly 450 makeshift graves uncovered near the Ukrainian city of Izium show signs of torture and abuse with many having their hands tied behind their backs when he was shot, the Associated Press reports.
The revelation strengthens accusations of Russian war crimes made by Ukrainian authorities and human rights observers, and the Ukrainian government said the vast majority of the people buried in the forest site were civilians. Locals say the victims died of by gunshots, from artillery wounds and in Russian bombing. Some also died after triggering mines laid by Russian forces.
Associated Press journalists and war crimes investigators found the mass burial site outside of Izium when the city of 45,000 was liberated by Ukrainian forces earlier this week. Russia has been accused of war crimes for intentionally targeting civilian populations with their bombardments, with additional accusations of abuse and crimes committed by soldiers on the ground.