Buried as numbers, more of Bucha’s victims are laid to rest
With graves marked only with numbers, not names, burial services were held for 11 more unidentified bodies found in Bucha
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.With graves marked only with numbers, not names, burial services were held Thursday for 11 more unidentified bodies found in Bucha, the town outside the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv that saw hundreds of people slaughtered under Russian occupation early in the war.
Under a grim gray sky, the two women and eight men were buried following their discovery in a mass grave near the town's Church of Andrew the Apostle, in the wake of the Russian withdrawal in late March. The 11th victim had been shot dead and was found in the village of Chervone, 17 kilometers (10 miles) further outside the Ukrainian capital.
The civilian killings at Bucha have become a symbol of brutality of the war. They were carried out as Russia launched a failed effort to capture the Ukrainian capital after it invaded the country on Feb. 24.
Wrapped in plastic, the bodies arrived in a refrigerator truck, were placed in wooden caskets and then buried separately.
“We are praying for the souls of those killed unjustly,” said Father Andriy, an Orthodox priest who led Thursday’s service near the site where the mass grave was found. “God knows their names.”
It was a second such funeral of unidentified bodies in Bucha, after an Aug. 9 service in which 15 people were buried.
Municipal authorities say 458 bodies have been found in the Bucha area after the 33-day Russian occupation. They include 12 bodies of children, in most cases killed with their parents.
Authorities said 116 bodies were found in the mass grave near the Church of Andrew the Apostle.
The process of identification began in April at several morgues in Kyiv region. The bodies are buried one month after the autopsy, remaining unidentified if relatives cannot be found to formally name them.
In one example, Oleksandr Khmaruk, 37, was originally listed as a number, as his parents at first were unable to find his body due to a bureaucratic mix-up. Khmaruk, who served in the Ukrainian armed forces in 2014-15, is believed to have been dragged from his home and shot at a checkpoint by Russian soldiers.
“We are working with a list of approximately 50 bodies that remain unidentified,” said Mykhailyna Skoryk-Shkarivska, the deputy mayor of Bucha, adding that the number has changed as more family members are found.
“We hope these numbers will change into names,” she said.
___
Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.