Unhealed wound of Bucha: A report from Ukraine
Bucha, July 1, AZERTAC
Three years have passed since the crime against humanity was committed in Ukraine’s Bucha district. The wounds inflicted by the Russian army’s massacre of civilians remain deeply rooted, continuing to torment the local population.
AZERTAC’s correspondents visited the city of Bucha and the nearby city of Irpin in the Bucha district to investigate new details about the atrocities and interview eyewitnesses.
Mass grave in Bucha
In the early days of Russia’s war against Ukraine, civilians in Bucha were brutally massacred. The first mass grave was established on the grounds of a local church, where more than 120 victims were buried, including over 30 women and dozens of children.
In total, over 400 civilians were mercilessly killed by the Russian army in Bucha city alone. Across the Bucha district, the toll is even more horrific, with recent statistics indicating that over 1,000 local residents were killed by Russian forces.
The atrocities in Bucha remain a stark symbol of Russian brutality, recognized globally. The horrifying images and eyewitness accounts from the Russian occupation in March 2022 reveal the full extent of the aggression waged against Ukraine.
Valentina Lyubchenko, a witness to the Bucha events, shared with AZERTAC: “It was 6 a.m., and I was sleeping when I heard banging on the window. Neighbors were shouting that the war had started. Later, we saw Russian soldiers. We went out to the main road and saw them killing civilians. Some tried to flee toward Kyiv to save their lives. It was a terrifying scene. There were children among those escaping. Tanks passed by the church, shooting at civilians in their path.”
"Cemetery” of cars belonging to murdered people
Following the atrocities in Bucha city, similar crimes against humanity were committed in Irpin, also within the Bucha district.
In Irpin, a “car cemetery” now exists, filled with vehicles that did not crash in accidents but belonged to innocent people killed by the Russian army. None of these vehicles are military; they are all personal cars of Irpin residents.
As a result of the Russian army’s brutality in Irpin, more than 50 civilians were killed, and over 200 were injured.
“I’m Russian by origin, but I’m in shock at their crimes”
Many people in Irpin have been displaced from their homes and have lost loved ones, now forced to live in train carriages.
Yevgeniya Gapchenko, a resident of Irpin originally from Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, told AZERTAC: “I’m Russian by origin, but I’m in shock at what they’ve done. I can’t understand what they’re doing or why. They have wealth, land, and the ability to live as they please. Why do they need Ukraine? Ukraine is moving toward NATO and America – that should have nothing to do with Russia. Ukraine has its own life, and Russia has its own. Go live your lives. Stop killing our children, our grandchildren, our husbands. When a rich country like Russia invaded Ukraine’s lands, I was in disbelief and didn’t want to believe it.”
Regrettably, the crimes against humanity that began in Bucha have been replicated by the Russian army in numerous Ukrainian cities and villages, and these atrocities continue to this day.
Emil Huseynli
Special Correspondent
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