Home page » Topics » War » Restoration » How the Makariv community is being restored communities across Ukraine were developing strongly thanks partly to decentralisation reform and various government programmes a new outpatient clinic was opened in Makariv it functioned only for a little over a year: in March 2022 along with many other buildings in the village instead of investing in the development of what it had this issue is approached with the principle of “making it better than it used to be” In this article on the “Restoration project” we discuss how the Makariv community is being rebuilt the new Makariv Primary Health Care Centre which was funded by the Kyiv School of Economics sponsored by the Dell Loy Hansen Foundation and the initiative of local rescue worker Hennadii Pohorielov Makariv is a village located about 50 km from Kyiv which lay in the path of the Russian army in its offensive on the capital It suffered greatly during the fighting and occupation that lasted from late February to April 2022 The Russian enemy not only shelled the village Almost 30% of all the buildings in the village were either destroyed or damaged The industrial infrastructure was also severely hit many of these facilities have been restored partly thanks to Ukrainian and international partners The Makariv Primary Healthcare Centre is a modern, inclusive healthcare facility that was completely destroyed by a Russian missile, which many partners managed to help rebuild and improve in less than a year. Its director, Serhii Solomenko, says that the previous outpatient clinic was built from February 2019 to November 2020 as part of the Affordable Healthcare project in rural areas This was one of the first examples of the project in the region built using Canadian technology and environmentally friendly materials as it provided the broadest range of services and had the most declarations signed by its doctors it was located next to a multidisciplinary hospital the outpatient clinic managed to operate for only 16 months causing a fire that destroyed the building with all its equipment “It was a tragedy for me as the head of the facility and for our doctors But it was also a tragedy for the entire community.” This happened when the doctors were evacuated Serhii found out about the destruction of the outpatient clinic from the Armed Forces and passed the news on to his colleagues we faced the question of how to move Makariv district’s primary healthcare system forward without an outpatient clinic.” The doctors that returned began working in the administrative building next door the multidisciplinary hospital provided them with several rooms The community began to restore critical infrastructure and then considered which facilities needed to be rebuilt first “And he (the head of the community — ed.) understood that people would not return and would not be able to resume normal life if medical services were not provided to the affected population.” They also discussed how to treat people who have survived the occupation and how to create conditions for doctors to return home and work The outpatient clinic was one of the institutions that decided to rebuild on the principle of build back better this included ensuring that the restored infrastructure met EU standards and the Kyiv Military Administration signed a memorandum of cooperation Then they took up the documentation: it was necessary to obtain a conclusion on the unsuitability of the premises Serhii recalls that he was initially a little sceptical about the possibility of rebuilding quickly, but the support of his partners convinced him that it could be done. The team of the KSE Foundation a charitable foundation of the Kyiv School of Economics undertook to find funds for reconstruction “They were the first to contribute funds to produce design and construction documents and took the initiative They exemplified how it should be done and also involved their partners We consider this an example of professionalism The Kyiv School of Economics performed a miracle that no one believed in.” Serhii says that the community understood that the medical facility should be one of the first to be rebuilt But such a large project seemed almost like a gamble and some locals were concerned that the restoration would eventually stop “They (the community residents – ed.) worried that at some point the funds would run out and it would become an architectural monument The construction began two months after the decision to restore the outpatient clinic. It lasted a relatively short time for such a scale, nine months. The design and concept were developed by the Ukrainian architectural bureau Bogdanova Bureau The reconstruction was based on the project of an outpatient clinic destroyed by the Russian army The facility does not yet have a bomb shelter so doctors and patients go down to the shelter of a neighbouring hospital during air-raids The cost of building the previous outpatient clinic was UAH 12.5 million to the fact that the previous building was made of wood Another reason is the rise in the cost of building materials logistics become more complex and additionally many large enterprises have been destroyed equipment is needed to restore the healthcare facility The equipment was purchased using both donor funds and the local budget “The outpatient clinic is an example of symbiosis and cooperation between different types of budgets however 95% of the funds come from international partners.” a winter garden will be planted in this area to symbolise revival “A pergola made of burnt wood should also be placed around the outpatient clinic as a symbol of what we have lost.” The full-scale war has affected the health of Ukrainians Serhii understands that now it is especially important for people to have quick access to quality medical services we started working on preserving this heart and making it work better.” Serhii was born in Makariv and believes that this village will always combine the rural and the urban He sees Makariv as a town with many young people in the future the appropriate infrastructure is needed: high-quality medical and educational institutions The modern outpatient clinic is one of the steps towards its development the local authorities and the Kyiv School of Economics are developing a concept for community sustainability particularly through attracting foreign investments and it sounds like this: ‘Makariv is a town for ideas The new outpatient clinic began operating in the spring of 2023 Serhii attributes the successful implementation of the project to constructive dialogue between the institution’s management and local authorities and openness to cooperation in all opportunities without neglecting them He believes the reconstruction of the outpatient clinic was an example of proper use of funds making partners more willing to cooperate with the community in the future Serhii knows that this cooperation is already occurring in the healthcare sector in his community with partners providing mobile clinics and hospitals with certain medicines As the experience of cooperation with international partners shows and an incredible journey begins with a small step […] There is a Ukrainian wisdom: water does not flow under a lying stone “Miracle Town” is a residential complex in the Makariv community for elderly people who have lost their homes either due to destruction or because their houses are located in temporarily occupied territories The construction and utilities of the town are funded by the Hansen Mission in Ukraine a charitable foundation of American businessman Dell Loy Hansen which helps people who have lost their homes due to the war The official opening of the project is scheduled for May 2024 Construction in the settlement is still ongoing They were built between June and October 2023 The 20 buildings have a little over a hundred separate apartments (four or eight in each) People live there for free and have various leisure options Oleksandra Kondrasheva is the head of “Miracle Town” visited many shelters for IDPs and noticed that older people faced the most challenges there as there was usually no one to take care of them elderly people tend to stay in dangerous areas for the longest time “An elderly IDP is a tree that has been uprooted and transported to different soil it is very difficult for large trees to establish roots in new soil.” “Miracle Town” is specifically designated for elderly people the foundation created a questionnaire and distributed it in places of compact residence of IDPs The selection process was difficult because there are more pensioners in need of housing than available places in the town Priority was given to those in the most difficult circumstances “Ten thousand applications are still pending Four Ukrainians and four Americans assemble a commission and check with the state authorities to see if there are any additional apartments or houses where the individual could live And so it turns out that it is precisely those who cannot help themselves in any way who do not have the support of their relatives “There are no more such settlements in Ukraine I don’t know if there are such settlements worldwide The settlement is not temporary: the inhabitants of “Miracle Town” can live there until the end of their lives we will be happy if people ever want or can return home songs and music as it is a great happiness to return home we understand that 95% of the people living here no longer have homes the houses are designed to last for many years The Dell Loy Hansen Foundation’s founder who has many years of construction experience the foundation’s mission is to give people not only housing but also decent conditions and hope for a better life “Miracle Town” is located on the outskirts of the village of Kolonshchyna Oleksandra says that to prevent people from feeling cut off from cities the town’s administration purchased a bus that takes them to Makariv and Kyiv so perhaps it may be possible to reach an agreement for large businesses to assist The settlement’s administration ensures that people have something to do Seven residents have been employed in the settlement while others are offered to join volunteer initiatives such as knitting socks or making goodies for the military Oleksandra collects funds via her social media and then she uses the money to buy dried fruits “Over the past two weeks (in February 2024 – ed.) we have sent 100 kilos of Amosov’s paste alone to different areas of the frontline.” doctors visit the settlement to attend the physical health of its residents They plan to open a dental office on the premises later om Special support groups aid in maintaining mental health one of which is dedicated to the parents of military personnel There are also art therapy and sports classes twice a week Those who wish to attend can do so with a Nordic walking instructor Each resident will have their own small plot of land to plant vegetables or ornamental plants A greenhouse is being built on the territory to grow vegetables and herbs together The settlement has a clothing bank where people can borrow clothes for free There is an entertainment hall in the centre of the settlement which is still under construction (expected to be completed in May 2024) Plans are also in place to open an educational space and establish arrangements with local schools so that the town’s residents can educate children about their home regions Oleksandra says that the war is divisive in many ways; people focus on the negative comfortable conditions and joint activities help build good neighbourly relations and mutual respect Oleksandra observes that people unite not only based on territorial origin (let’s say and I won’t say it happens overnight warm and in conditions where they do not have to solely focus on survival Our goal here is to create an active community in which people interact and help each other.” Despite the shelling and the danger to her life she did not leave for a long time and cooked for the Ukrainian military I’m glad that I wasn’t killed and that they didn’t starve.” She says that if there is a canteen in the settlement Another resident of the settlement is Nadiia Korytska “We are from the most beautiful town on earth (for me, for us) — the city of Chasiv Yar Our house was damaged on 5 May 2022: an OTR-21 Tochka (tactical ballistic missile) hit our neighbour’s house but my husband and I miraculously survived.” the family moved to their parents’ house They had planned to spend the winter there After that they lived in a dormitory and then submitted an application form to live in “Miracle Town” The couple could not believe that they had been chosen it seemed to her that everything was too good to be true The woman says they go for groceries by car have a group chat where they communicate when suppliers come to the settlement and sign up for a free bus to go to the city for food or medicine An acquaintance of the couple lives there as well She once worked with them at the same factory They also made friends with other residents Kostia walked all the way to the store today and asked if they sold honey Leonidovych came in — he lives here in house 16/3 — and said: ‘I’ll bring you honey you won’t make it there on foot.’ He took the jars Hennadii Pohorelov is an officer of the State Emergency Service and the founder and head of the Rebuild Makariv Foundation the man has been looking for funds and contractors to restore what the Russian army had destroyed in the Makariv community Hennadii did not wear his uniform for security reasons but still helped evacuate people there was nothing we could do to prevent it the man delivered humanitarian supplies to the community He helped to find and transport the bodies of Ukrainians killed during the fighting for the village to the morgue Hennadii founded the Rebuild Makariv Foundation met representatives from Oxfam International we have gained [their] trust and credibility so they allow us to change certain project conditions If we cannot implement a particular project or there is no need for it we have the right to transfer the budget to another expenditure item relevant to our community.” the partners have become convinced that the foundation can be trusted and that it uses the funds efficiently Hennadii says that he sometimes manages to exceed the plan and stay within the budget Oxfam International allocated funds for the installation of 300 windows and doors and thanks to an agreement with the contractor we need to look for funds somewhere because the state budget does not have them at all.’ He offered to set up and head the foundation.” The Fund was launched in July 2022. Officially, only Hennadii and an accountant work there. Hennadii does not receive a salary because, as a current civil servant, he is not entitled to it under the Law of Ukraine “On Prevention of Corruption” Many organisations are surprised by this approach: How can you work and not get paid You just need to understand that we’re currently living through a period like this The fund was created to find resources for restoring the community as a whole including critical infrastructure and communal and residential buildings it became noticeable how the state got involved in the reconstruction “We focus on people who cannot get help from the state And it is perfect that the state has engaged 101% today (I like the number 101 because it is our working phone number) […] A certain number of businesses moved to other regions And enterprises with one and a half to two or even three thousand job places have been destroyed It’s been almost two years since the de-occupation which means two years of fully functioning and life in the community one of the Foundation’s projects was aimed at supporting small entrepreneurs: the partners allocated money to purchase equipment for more than 20 businesses This will directly impact the community’s recovery Besides more minor repairs and installing doors and windows the foundation helped build a frame house for a family with two children shell fragments hit the roof of the family’s house the State Emergency Service no longer responded to calls because of the shelling Hennadii learned about the fire from his neighbours he realised there was no way to prevent the fire but he called his neighbours to move his valuables to the garage an employee of the State Emergency Service I felt like I had to do something to help these people.” And he managed to help: Hennadii negotiated with his partners to take on the project ‘Do you happen to have an extra budget available we need to build a house for them.’ And they answered and met the girls (the family whose house was destroyed has two daughters — ed.) how much money do you need?’ I roughly estimated and said Hennadii came up with the idea for the frame house himself “It took 44 days from the foundation being poured to the moment we opened [the house] and cut the ribbon.” although it is smaller than the house the Russian army destroyed They had to live with their neighbours for more than six months and then they were forced to stay in their summer kitchen Hennadii says there is no need to scale up the idea of such a house as the foundation works only within the Makariv community his foundation meets the humanitarian needs of the community’s residents: solid fuel there are no plans to switch to this activity completely and look for and implement projects that are relevant today.” As a representative of the State Emergency Service Hennadii pays special attention to the availability of shelters there is a critical shortage of them in educational institutions: in many places Shelters are critical for continuing education offline and people will come back if they understand that this security aspect is covered Hennadii is confident that much can be done through the cooperation of the community In a situation where there is so much work to be done because of the destruction he urges not to wait for someone to decide to help but to take initiative and join those who are already doing something “I would like the locals to study the issues and problems of the local authorities and always support them […] It’s not always about money sometimes even a word can make a difference.” Makariv is an excellent village for families who work in the capital but seek a peaceful environment Hennadii envisions a future where the community’s population grows influencing its development and the viability of amenities like theatres Achieving this dream requires ongoing efforts in recovery “I dream of the day when our foundation will change its name: it will become ‘Build [Makariv]’ instead of ‘Rebuild.’” Editor-in-Chief of Ukraїner International: Coordinator of the partnerships department: Involved in the preparation of the material 51 volunteer Project support: Fundacja Euromaidan-Warszawa Use of materials is only permitted upon providing the source: Ukrainer.net Дизайн — Артем Зубкевич Розробка — Deluxcode Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London He also covers other areas of geopolitics including China Brendan joined Newsweek in 2018 from the International Business Times and well as English You can get in touch with Brendan by emailing b.cole@newsweek.com or follow on him on his X account @brendanmarkcole either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Ukraine has said that its troops raised the country's flag in a town in the Kyiv region after driving out Russian forces had been "liberated from the invaders thanks to the heroic actions of our defenders." The statement by Ukraine's defense ministry comes amid analysis that Russian plans to storm Ukraine's capital "The state flag of Ukraine was raised over the city of Makarov," the ministry said using the Russian spelling of the town's name Ukrainian news outlet Unian cited Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Forces Lieutenant General Valery Zaluzhny as saying that Ukrainian forces had liberated the town on March 2 but it was lost to Russian forces before being regained again on Monday Chairman of the Kyiv regional military administration Alexander Pavlyuk said Makariv which had been under heavy Russian fire on Monday morning was one of the most dangerous areas of the Kyiv region An assessment on Monday by Britain's Ministry of Defence (MOD) found that while heavy fighting continues north of Kyiv "Russian forces advancing on the city from the northeast have stalled." The MOD said that Russian troops advancing from Hostomel to the northwest of the capital had been "repulsed by fierce Ukrainian resistance" and that "the bulk" of Russian forces were more than 16 miles from the city center Kyiv remains Russia's primary military objective" and invading forces would try to encircle the capital However, military expert Michael Kofman, who is the director of Russia Studies at the CNA thinktank, told the War on the Rocks podcast that the Russian attempt to encircle the Ukrainian capital looks to have failed "I think at this point it would be reasonable to say…that they are not in a position to attack Kyiv they are not in a position to encircle it," Kofman said The Ukrainian defense ministry said in its statement that Russian forces were continuing to target infrastructure in the Kyiv Kharkiv and Donetsk regions and expected further missile and bomb strikes using artillery Kyiv also said that Russia "temporarily" holds a land corridor to occupied Crimea and is blocking access to the Sea of ​​Azov while Ukrainian forces continued to fight Russian forces in Donetsk and Luhansk Ukraine has rejected the Russian-issued deadline for authorities in Mariupol to surrender the southern city which has been under constant attack by Moscow's forces The assault has included deadly strikes on a maternity ward and separate bombings of a theater and school Kyiv has accused Russian forces of blocking evacuation routes Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment Follow our live blog for updates on the Russia-Ukraine conflict Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all All rights reserved for Volant Media UK Limited"There was an overnight drone bombardment by invaders on the Makariv community," Andriy Nebytov head of the Kyiv region police said on the Telegram messaging app "According to preliminary information there were no casualties." Russia used more than 20 Iranian drones in its large-scale bombardment of infrastructure and cities on October 10 Iran has supplied Shahed 136 suicide drones to Russia and Ukraine has reported swarms of these UAVs launched against civilian targets The drones have a low speed of 120-150km per hour and many have been shot down by Ukrainian air defenses and warplanes the deputy head of Volodymyr Zelenskiy's presidential office said earlier that the attack took place by "kamikaze drones on critical infrastructure facilities" said that rescuers were working at the site a town which had a population of about 10,000 before Russia's invasion in Ukraine in February is about 55 km (34 miles) west of the capital Kyiv.Iran denies supplying the drones to Russia "Hollywood actor and UN Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller has arrived in Makariv in Kyiv region," the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine posted on Facebook. Earlier, the actor was in Lviv, western Ukraine, and also came to Poland with a humanitarian mission. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine expressed gratitude to all those who help inform people around the world about Ukraine and the consequences of Russia’s large-scale invasion. As reported, in late April, Hollywood actress, director and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie arrived in Lviv. On May 2, Jolie visited children evacuated from Luhansk region at the Boryslav Rehabilitation Center in Lviv region. Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421. © 2015-2025 Ukrinform. All rights reserved. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. Today’s PaperHow We Verified Russian Radio ChatterBy Christiaan TriebertMarch 28, 2022 Christiaan Triebert and Robin Stein📍Reporting for Visual InvestigationsHow We Verified Russian Radio ChatterChristiaan Triebert and Robin Stein📍Reporting for Visual InvestigationsWe analyzed dozens of battlefield radio transmissions between Russian forces during the initial invasion of Makariv, a town outside Kyiv, Ukraine. They show an army facing logistical problems and communication failures. Here’s how we verified the transmissions → Christiaan Triebert and Robin Stein📍Reporting for Visual Investigations0:07In order to confirm that the voices speaking were Russian troops, we linked radio exchanges and eyewitness accounts with visuals we geolocated. This transmission is about a battle in Motyzhyn, southeast of Makariv, in which call sign YUG-95 reports his unit pulled out of the battle. Christiaan Triebert and Robin Stein📍Reporting for Visual Investigations0:22We matched YUG-95’s report with a Telegram post from Makariv’s mayor: “our guys are mowing down enemy column near Motyzhyn” We also tracked down videos showing Russian vehicles entering the village that day — as well as footage from later showing some that were destroyed. Christiaan Triebert and Robin Stein📍Reporting for Visual Investigations0:14Soon, we heard Russian troops on the radio giving battlefield updates — and openly disclosing attack plans for anyone to hear. Here, they’re claiming that they shot down a Ukrainian helicopter. Christiaan Triebert and Robin Stein📍Reporting for Visual Investigations0:09Residents in Makariv and surrounding villages told us Russian forces fired into their houses. Christiaan Triebert and Robin Stein📍Reporting for Visual Investigations0:15Russian troops in Makariv were met with fierce resistance and took significant losses. This transmission captures a frantic dispatch of a unit under attack. The speaker is in clear distress. Christiaan Triebert and Robin Stein📍Reporting for Visual Investigations0:36Radio chatter is full of Russian troops who lack critical supplies, too. Here are a few exchanges: “I urgently need refueling, water, and food.” “Vehicles stalling in the road. Urgently need fuel.” Read more about how we are covering Ukraine: Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Kim Sengupta talks to residents in Makariv I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Parts of the altar are shattered; the nave is left charred by the blaze; bits of the cupola lie on a floor of glass and rubble, along with the icons of saints and burnt copies of scriptures; the gallery hangs precariously “This is the house of God; this is where people came to pray seek peace in their minds in this time of trouble “We have had so many attacks in this area in the last weeks... so many people killed, wounded... families fleeing from their homes. We knew that the bombing would continue, but we did not think that they would hit a church.” Father Roman was at the back of St Michael’s Church when missiles began to land three days ago and starting a fire by hitting a gas installation “I heard the missile coming in this direction – the sound of whistling rushing wind you get from a grad [multiple rocket launcher] I threw myself onto the ground and covered my head and a lot of earth fell on top of me,” he recounts “When the bombing ended I started looking around at what had happened; I was shocked and I was very sad at the damage But we are very glad that no one was hurt or killed this time There have been many deaths and injuries in Makariv, 32 miles west of Kyiv when the town became a focus of fierce fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russians trying seize the approach routes into the capital Around 15 people died when an industrial bakery was shelled A video has emerged of a Russian armoured carrier opening fire and blowing up a car with an elderly couple inside cultural centres and medical facilities were hit along with more obvious targets like government offices and police stations Makariv has been the scene of one of the few battles near the capital in which warplanes belonging to both sides have been in regular action Fast jets and helicopter gunships were in the skies on Sunday Districts have changed hands repeatedly between the two sides Another was in the hands of the Russians last week before they were driven out by the Ukrainians It is not entirely clear who exactly remains in control of the empty streets flanked by wrecked homes A group of Ukrainian soldiers are crouching at a side road if they make the mistake of coming up this road again they don’t seem to learn from their mistakes,” says a sergeant “There was an old lady who lived in that house which has been bombed,” says Father Roman She used to come to this church sometimes for services.” Orthodox church – a distinction that has become important since the two branches formally split amid the political tensions between the two countries with the Ukrainian branch receiving “tomos” Why would Russian forces bomb a Russian Orthodox church But people do some very stupid things during a war Father Roman has overseen the renovation of St Michael’s through donations since arriving there eight years ago hiring craftsmen and personally supervising the work He intends to stay on at his small rectory next to the church but there are still some people here and they see me as someone who can provide advice I can’t let them down,” he says as he prepares to take his pet alsatian dog for a walk Russia wants to isolate us; we must keep ourselves open to the outside world were relieved to hear that Father Roman was all right “We heard that he may have been hurt or even have died “People don’t go out much now because of the security situation and so it is not easy to know what is going on We hear the rockets and the shootings close every night; there are planes and helicopters and explosions a chef who used to cater at corporate events before the war who organised conferences for the sale of musical instruments and they are keeping an eye on their properties who had the distinction of being one of the first officially recognised DJs in the Soviet Union – getting his certificate in the 1970s – is part of a neighbourhood council with a dwindling membership “This is our home and we are going to stay as long as we can We all feel very upset about what is happening to our country and we need to defend it,” he says “I remember as a young DJ I used to play at clubs in the resorts in Crimea, with everyone mixing together. Now Crimea has gone, parts of the Donbas are occupied, and we have an invasion. Russia wants to isolate us; we must keep ourselves open to the outside world.” Mr Shevko, an educated, erudite man, is keen to discuss what is going on in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Sudan. The Russian public, he maintains, are denied true information from abroad, and are being totally misinformed about what is going on in Ukraine. Ms Shevko’s sister is married to a Russian and they live in Moscow. One of their sons is in the police force, the other in the army. “She believes, my sister, what they are told by the Russian media totally. She is convinced that this ‘special operation’ is to protect us from nationalists; she suggested that we should take a humanitarian corridor out to Russia,” says Ms Shevko. “I have decided now there is no point in trying to tell her what’s really going on; she simply won’t listen.” There is a distinct possibility that Ms Shevko’s soldier nephew may end up being deployed in Ukraine. “If that happens, perhaps he and others like him will see for themselves what’s going on, and not take part in senseless killings; that’s what we can hope for,” says George. The streets are deserted near Byshiv, with repeated shelling in the background the only noise echoing among the abandoned homes. An elderly couple are being helped into a car by their grandson. “They didn’t want to leave, I had to spend a long time talking to them,” says the young man. “The family has been sleepless with worry for a long time and I’ve come to take them away. They keep saying, ‘God will protect us.’ I had to persuade them that we need to protect ourselves as well with what’s going on.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"IMG_2008.jpg","description":"David Harding\r\nEmailed pictures\r\nKim Sengupta","caption":"The interior of St Michael’s church after the recent bomb attack The interior of St Michael’s church after the recent bomb attack govt and politics","score":0.770959},{"label":"/business and industrial/business operations","score":0.695385},{"label":"/law govt and politics/politics","score":0.687979}],"mantis":[{"label":"law_govt_politics","score":0.770959},{"label":"business_industrial","score":0.695385},{"label":"business_operations","score":0.695385},{"label":"politics","score":0.687979},{"label":"religion_spirituality","score":0.963225}]},"sentiment":"veryNegative"},"article":{"title":"‘This is the house of God’: Russian Orthodox church near Kyiv bombed by Russian forces","description":"Kim Sengupta talks to residents in Makariv Unsecured radio networks allowed Ukrainians with radio jammers to mock Russian troops during an attack on a town near Kyiv, a New York Times investigation reveals Russians advancing on the town of Makariv on February 27 encountered significant resistance and — over their radio networks — even derision amid their attack The audio featured includes one instance of a Russian military member with the radio callsign "Buran-30," asking for clarification over the radio was a jaunty whistled tune — the work of a radio jammer a person operating a jammer told Buran-30 to "go home," the paper reported "It's better to be a deserter than fertilizer." The Times' audio-visual investigators partnered with ham radio operators and open source groups to intercept Russian military communications during its assault of Makariv The paper said it verified the communications with reference to publicly-sourced video and photo documentation as well as statements from Ukrainian officials The investigation also appears to have uncovered Russian troops discussing attacks on residential buildings in Makariv as well as their panicked arguments when Ukrainian forces ambushed them.  It is unclear why Russian fighters are using unsecured communications, but it appears to have become the norm, The Verge reported.  Makariv lies on a strategic route around 45km from the outskirts of the capital and has been heavily fought over since the early days of the war.  Mayor Vadim Tokar told the paper that Ukraine's military "only partially" controls the town, with around 15% still in Russian hands as of Wednesday. Kim Sengupta reports from the devastated town of Makariv now reclaimed by Ukrainian fighters Streets of shattered houses and twisted, burnt-out cars; a desolate landscape of rubble, broken glass and acrid black smoke rising from pools of flames. “Welcome to hell,” says the soldier at the checkpoint, pointing to the scene of devastation at Makariv. There are other towns and cities in Ukraine that have suffered more killed and injured, that have also been the targets of pounding airstrikes and artillery barrages. But as this brutal and unexpected war reached its first monthly anniversary, this town 32 miles from Kyiv has become of great strategic and symbolic significance. After weeks of fierce fighting, during which districts have changed hands and most of the population has fled, Makariv is now back under Ukrainian control. Russian forces have been driven out of the city, out of many outlying areas and, importantly, away from the main route into Kyiv. Their failure to take Makariv is a telling blow to the Kremlin’s plan to encircle and capture the Ukrainian capital and enforce regime change, said to be the aim of Vladimir Putin’s 24 February invasion. Russian troops have also failed to break out of Irpin and Hostomel other nearby towns within striking distance of Kyiv, although they appear not to be surrounded as Ukrainian authorities claim. There have been many lives lost in Makariv since the invasion began. More than 15 workers died when an industrial bakery was shelled; a dozen wounded were freed from under the fallen building. A video has emerged of a Russian armoured carrier apparently opening fire and blowing up a car with an elderly couple inside. There have been alleged instances of Russian forces opening fire randomly as they drive through. Meanwhile, missile strikes and shelling have continued on Kyiv. Two people were killed in the Podil district on Wednesday, including Oksana Baulina, a Russian journalist who had fled Moscow after a clampdown on Alex Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation where she had worked, and has been reporting on the conflict. She is the seventh journalist killed since the war began. There is still a Russian military presence in the countryside around Makariv. Rocket-propelled grenades aimed at a Ukrainian position, fired from a field of long grass, flew across the road as we travelled from Yasnagorodka into Makariv. “The Russians are no longer here in any numbers, they are now working in small groups, using things like RPGs [rocket propelled grenades] and machine guns, they can’t get back to the [Makariv] city now, we are cutting them off ,” says a Ukrainian captain as he advised us to take a slightly different route. At the bottom of the road, Father Roman is clearing up debris at the garden of his church from the day’s stray shelling. I had met him eight days ago after St Michael’s Church was hit by a missile. He has stayed on since then, living in his tiny rectory without electricity or water, despite repeated pleas from his family to leave for a safer place. He does not want to abandon his few remaining parishioners, mainly elderly people, who depend on him, he says. “The last attack was at 4.20 on Tuesday, it hit quite a few houses, including that blue one over there. But I saw Ukrainian military move up to the city, they gave me some food to distribute to those who are left in this area. Most people are still too nervous to go out much,”  he says. Shelling begins again as Father Roman speaks. “They are outgoing, aren’t they, from the Ukrainian side? I am getting to know a bit about incoming and outgoing ” he muses. “It’s not something I learnt when I was in my seminary studying. I could hear the missile coming in when it hit the blue house for instance, I was thinking it was very lucky that people there have left.” Not much remains of the blue house, about 75 yards from the church. A patrol station close to it was demolished two days ago. “That could have been really bad,” says Father Roman, “but there was not much fuel left there thankfully, otherwise all the other houses would have blown up and probably the church as well.” Bishiv, a suburb of Makariv further along, has been a particular focus of the Russian onslaught. Almost every single building was damaged and a market purpose-built a year ago along with an arts complex, smashed to bits. The blast had sent pieces of roofing flying 30 yards to hang from branches of trees from where a flock of blackbirds wheeled over the bomb site. Ivan Yusiovich, the head of the 16 districts in Makariv’s rural council, was holding an evening meeting of the emergency committee when the first wave of missiles came in. The blast threw him out of his chair across the room. “The noise was incredibly loud and the windows exploded, there was smoke and dust everywhere. I could feel blood on my face, and knew I was injured – but did not know how badly,” he says.  The stairwell outside his office is smeared with bloodstains from his wounds. With shelling continuing, Mr Yusiovich spent the next three nights, swathed in bandages in an underground shelter. He insisted that the first ambulances which could eventually get into the area should take those more seriously injured to before going for treatment himself. The doctors told him that he needed immediate surgery. He had arrived to survey the damage after a week at the hospital. “We feel that our building was targeted, they seem to have been targeting all government buildings in the Makariv region; they were trying to paralyse all forms of administration,” says Mr Yusiovich. “And, of course, when they target government buildings, there are casualties among civilians.” Officials say they are still trying to establish the exact numbers of killed and injured from the attack. One man was decapitated as he was sitting in his parked car outside the municipal offices. The occupants of another were severely burnt. The charred remains of both the vehicles still lay there emanating a stench of blood and gore. Around 550 pupils from Makariv’s suburbs attended the school in Bishiv. That, too, has been wrecked. The children were now getting remote lessons. The internet tower was bombed, but an alternative source of connectivity has been found. “We’ll rebuild the school as soon as possible, that is our priority, education is essential in rebuilding our country”, says Mr Yusiovich. It is not certain that the market would be rebuilt anytime soon. Sergei Kalinduk, who owned some of the stores, had invested 2 million hryvnias – around £ 52,000 – into the project. Outside the one shop left standing, he speaks of his loss, but also his hopes for the future. “We wanted it to be a modern place, modern European, there are lot towns here with people who worked in Kyiv and this was mean to attract them,” he says. “Now the market has gone and half the people have gone from Kyiv and these areas. But maybe things are changing, getting back Makariv from the Russians is a very good sign that we are beginning to win. If our troops can keep pushing them back then more people may move back to Kyiv.” Others hope they no longer see Russian troops and armoured columns moving through their neighbourhoods, bringing destruction. Anna Omelchenko was on her way to see what was left of the family home along a road that saw prolonged clashes. “They were firing at any movement they saw,” she recounts. “The outside of our house is full of bullet holes. We would have been shot if we had stayed for more than a minute at a window. My husband and I left with our three children when there was a break in the shooting. We didn’t take anything with us. We’ll wait a few days to make sure that the Russians aren’t coming back before deciding whether to get back or not.” Ludmilla and Volodymyr Demetresko had moved from Kyiv with their seven cats to be with relations at a nearby village. “There has been fighting going on here, that’s true,” says Ms Demetresko. “But we still feel it is safer than Kyiv. We think Putin is really angry he’s not doing well, so we fear what he may do to Kyiv. But now we must push all Russian invaders out of our land, nothing else is acceptable. It may take a long time, but we can do it.” Ukrainian troops who had been taking part in the battle for Makariv speak of how, after a while, they had been able to anticipate Russian moves and counter them. “I think we had good intelligence, maybe our own, maybe from our foreign allies, I do not know the secrets”, observes Taras Derkach, a fighter with a volunteer battalion. “But we have carried out some good ambushes. The Russians did not always have supporting fire or air support when they came forward. They did not stay long [in firefights] at the end, their morale was probably low. But we are keeping alert, we are not getting too relaxed, this is a dangerous area.” One of the soldiers, Nicolai, says how lucky he is to be alive. He was meant to be at a checkpoint beside St Michael’s when the church, along with other buildings, was hit. “But my shift was changed at the last minute and that’s what saved me” he says. “Five people died that day very near where I was meant to be.” But, on a warm spring day of blue skies and sunshine, with Makariv for the time being at least under their control, the soldiers seem a little less tense than before. At one base they invite me and my Ukrainian colleagues, Demien and Ivan, to lunch. “It’s all fresh food, we cooked it ourselves” says Nerses Yesayan as he serves a spicy soup, meatballs with potatoes and pickles and blinis with cheese. “We are thinking of opening up a restaurant when tourists come back after the war, we’ll call it the Frontline Cafe perhaps”, says his companion, Sergei Grogoriev. The blinis were for a delayed commemoration of Forty Martyrs Day, one of a number of religious events in the Orthodox Church leading up to Easter. Father Roman is considering how Easter will be celebrated at St Michael’s. “The service will have to be held outside, I think, we won’t have the church cleared up and made ready in time,” he says. “I am hoping that people who have left would start coming back to their homes now that Makariv has been retaken. Easter is a time of rebirth of course, it will be a good time to get our community back together and start again.” {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"Makariv destruction Kim Sengupta 6","description":"GVs of destruction in Makariv, a town in Ukraine retaken from Russian forces by local fighters \r\n\r\ntaken Kim Sengupta","caption":"The charred remains of two cars line the streets of Makariv The charred remains of two cars line the streets of Makariv govt and politics","score":0.75324},{"label":"/business and industrial/business operations","score":0.69979},{"label":"/law govt and politics/politics","score":0.690384}],"mantis":[{"label":"law_govt_politics","score":0.75324},{"label":"business_industrial","score":0.69979},{"label":"business_operations","score":0.69979},{"label":"politics","score":0.690384},{"label":"war_conflicts","score":0.436156}]},"sentiment":"negative"},"article":{"title":"‘Welcome to hell’: Inside Makariv the town Ukrainians took back from Russian troops","description":"Kim Sengupta reports from the devastated town of Makariv now reclaimed by Ukrainian fighters UN-appointed independent human rights experts on Friday said they were “deeply disturbed” by reports of the systematic recruitment of prisoners across Russia by the private military contractor known as the Wagner Group which is playing a major role in the fighting in Ukraine the dozen experts said representatives from the Russian-owned mercenary outfit had been “offering pardons for criminal sentences to prisoners who join the group and take part in the war in Ukraine as well as a monthly payment to their relatives” The independent experts said they had been made aware of pressure tactics by Wagner recruiters suggesting that in some cases recruitment was carried out through threats or intimidation detainees were reportedly denied communication with their families and lawyers by recruiters from the group “Reports that recruited prisoners were allegedly taken to a detention facility in the Rostov region for training before being sent to Ukraine, and that they were transferred to Ukraine without identification documents and required to sign a contract with the Wagner Group, are deeply disturbing,” the Human Rights Council-appointed experts said “We are particularly concerned that the Wagner Group has extended its recruitment to correctional facilities in the Donetsk region of Ukraine,” they added Prison recruits are reported to have been deployed in the partly Russian-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine and put to work doing various tasks including “providing military services and taking direct part in hostilities on the side of the Russian forces,” they said “Wagner Group recruits are alleged to have participated in human rights and humanitarian law violations in the context of the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine,” they said “including enforced disappearances of Ukrainian soldiers and officers captured” “We are troubled by allegations that recruited prisoners are regularly threatened and ill-treated by their superiors,” the experts added “We have information that several recruits have been executed for attempting to escape and seriously injured in public as a warning to other recruits Such tactics constitute human rights violations and may amount to war crimes,” they said Countries have an obligation to regulate and monitor private military and security firms operating under their jurisdiction “The Government of the Russian Federation has an obligation to exercise the utmost vigilance to protect detainees from violence exploitation and intimidation,” the experts said “States have an obligation to prohibit private individuals and companies from exploiting the vulnerability of prisoners for profit,” they added The experts have expressed their concerns about these allegations to the both the Russian Government and to the Wagner Group itself Special Rapporteurs and independent experts operate in their individual capacity nor do they receive a salary for their work.  Top UN-appointed independent rights experts on Tuesday called on the authorities in Mali to launch an immediate probe into the mass execution of civilians last year allegedly by Government forces and the Russia-based private military contractor Armed groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) must lay down their arms and engage in political dialogue a UN-appointed independent human rights expert said on Friday urging the international community to strengthen efforts to restore State authority and end impunity there they have regained control of the town of Makariv “The state flag of Ukraine was hoisted over the town of Makariv when the Russians retreated,” the Ukrainian military said in a statement Makariv suffered significant damage as a result of Russian air strikes The Ukrainian Armed Forces say the Russian air force continues rocket bombing in Kyiv Why Silknet's eSIM could be your top choice in Georgia  Since its introduction Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Asia & World World Japan’s legendary “Hachiko” now has a rival in an administrative region of Kyiv province in Ukraine an Akita Inu dog waited at the entrance of her home for a month for her owner who had been raped and murdered by a Chechnyan soldier fighting alongside invading Russian forces The pitiful sight earned the faithful canine the nickname of “Hachiko of Makariv.”  The story about the hound called Reeny was shared on social media by Anton Gerashchenko an adviser to the internal affairs minister of Ukraine Her husband died of illness three years ago she began to make plans to flee the city with a friend While she was waiting for her friend to come to her home a soldier from Chechnya in southern Russia broke into the house raped her repeatedly over the course of several days and then stabbed her to death in mid-March Although some residents still remained in Makariv they feared to venture out and try to rescue the woman as armed Russian troops were roaming the battered area Gerashchenko mourned the tragic circumstances of the woman’s death noting that there is no way of knowing how many days she endured brutality When volunteers tried to take the dog to an animal protection center the bereaved Reeny refused to abandon her post Akita Reeny from Makariv has found a new home and her people (to care for her) The family knows how to take care of this breed as they already have an Akita boy and they became friends with Reeny.”  New picture book aims to introduce Hachiko legend to kids overseas Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Russian forces have consistently targeted hospitals and medical centers The World Health Organization has confirmed more than 800 attacks on Ukraine's healthcare system was heavily damaged by a Russian attack in the early stages of the war The hospital has reopened but still bears scars of the attack Anatolii Yovenko was there when the fighting began He said the hospital had been spared from attack in the opening weeks of the war because the Russians "wanted to seize and use us for their purposes." But after their offensive stalled and they were forced to retreat they wanted to show who was in charge," Yovenko says He adds that anything in the way of the retreating forces was a target for attack five-story building — was deemed to be in the way When it became evident that the hospital was no longer safe the staff sent patients home or to other facilities They started reopening little by little about a month later so the staff are regularly forced to turn patients away whether they have a stay scheduled in advance or are brought here by ambulance," Yovenko says we tell the emergency medical services that we don't have space." WHO has confirmed 857 such attacks since the war in Ukraine began on February 24 of last year says the attacks have turned certain parts of Ukraine into medical deserts "If you look to the south and east parts of the country people really struggle to have access to services," he says They have not seen their primary care doctors for weeks He says this is putting a strain on the healthcare system that is starting to be felt in the rest of the country "Healthcare is becoming more difficult to afford," Habicht says People need to make choices to buy food or to buy medicine." Habicht says the war is also changing the kind of care that is needed with more people struggling with trauma and debilitating injury "We have approximately 10 million people who need support for mental health," he says "This varies from self-help to stress management Habicht says the Makariv Central District Hospital and other facilities have demonstrated admirable resilience by resuming operations so quickly but the fact they had to do so is deeply regrettable He says it is incumbent on the world to remind Russia that such attacks are unforgivable Scores of bodies recovered and craters left behind after Russian forces attack the town of Makariv in Ukraine Russian forces are thought to have gone door to door interrogating and sometimes killing residents Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Among the survivors there was a mosaic that decorated the wall of a local store which miraculously remained untouched during the occupation notwithstanding its building was completely destroyed by Russian shelling The monumental object glorified the fertility of the Ukrainian lands and the hospitality of the Ukrainian people On March 21, the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated Makariv, driving away the enemy from the town. Unfortunately, on August 23, the artwork was destroyed by Ukrainian workers with a perforator. The scene was shown by a video on Instagram. "Monumental works that survived the war and occupation are becoming new symbols of cities, symbols of struggle and indomitability. A commemorative plaque with information about the mosaic and Makariv's release had to be installed near the mosaic. We must preserve our culture and the memory of the war, and not destroy them!" – As reported by the Ukrainian Modernism community. "The mosaic that survived the shelling of the Russian invaders and the occupation was destroyed today... Destroying what the Russians failed to destroy is no longer the bottom, it's the abyss," the Instagram post added. "This is a crime against Ukrainian culture, against our artistic heritage. People who help the enemy in destroying Ukrainian culture are collaborators and should be punished". Unfortunately, the law enforcement against people guilty of damage or destruction of national artworks and architecture in Ukraine is very weak. There are no examples of people arrested or fined for that crime. However, representatives of the Ukrainian Modernism community asked for the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy to react. Sadly, in current times the Ukrainian Ministry is more focused of the dismissal of monuments with Soviet and Russian imperial symbols than in the protection of the present cultural heritage of Ukraine. Earlier it was reported that Russian troops destroyed the mosaics of Alla Gorska and Viktor Zaretskyi in Mariupol. It concerns the compositions "Tree of Life" and "Boryviter", created in 1967 to decorate the interior of the premises of the former restaurant "Ukraine". © 2024, odessa-journal.com | Created by WIBE Special Report: A man watches a Russian missile destroy his family’s home in front of his eyes. A teenager avoids a summary execution by seconds. In Borodyanka, Bucha, Hostomel and Makariv, Bel Trew finds a Russian retreat marked by a trail of murdered civilians It took the firefighters more than a month to reach the bombed-out building and begin to pull the bodies out. Anyone who had survived the Russian attack on the block of flats in Borodyanka would have long since suffocated or died of thirst in this lonely concrete tomb. Vadym, whose family is under the rubble, knows this. But he cannot let go of hope. Islanded by grief, the 45-year-old waits in front of the skeletal remains of the tower block for news of his loved ones’ bodies. The fisherman, who by chance was outside when the missile struck, clutches his winter jacket like a lifebuoy. It’s the only possession he has left in the world. Just before 8am on that freezing March morning, he missed a call from his mother Lida, 64, while he was moving his wife and child to a bunker inside a nearby school. A few metres in front of the block of flats, he tried to ring his mother back to urge her to relocate as well. Before the call could connect, he was thrown into the air. The world turned red and white and upside down. The sky exploded and imploded at the same time. When the dust settled, the centre of the nine-storey building had gone, gouged out by a ferocious fist of fire. “It was so intense, I have never seen anything like it. It forced me across the ground,” he says in front of the block which yawns open to the sky. The second-floor flat where his mother, brother, sister-in law, and mother-in-law were living is now a pile of charred concrete. “I don’t know if they made it to the basement but even if they did, there was no way to get to them. I tried so many times, but the bombing was so intense it was impossible. We couldn’t do anything but leave them there.” Swathes of Borodyanka, 26 miles northwest of Kyiv, were wiped out by bombing and shelling in the ensuing days before Russian troops rolled in, occupying the area, looting and setting fire to shops, and shooting those Ukrainians who dared to venture out. Phone networks and power lines were cut, food and water became scarce. And so the rescue operation was unable to take place until this Thursday, when Russian forces had pulled out. According to authorities, four bodies were pulled from the snarls of concrete and steel that afternoon, including a child, the corpses charred beyond recognition. “Why target this? There was not a single Ukrainian soldier in the town when the war started. We were just families with children,” Vadym says. “I am clinging on to hope but I also don’t believe in miracles. At least I want to locate the bodies so I can bury them properly,” he adds, breaking down into tears. Borodyanka, Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel, Makariv: these are names now synonymous with some of Russia’s most brutal acts. Before they were chewed up in Russia’s Kyiv offence when President Putin launched his 24 February invasion of Ukraine, they were sleepy satellite towns unknown to the world. A drip-feed of horror has emerged over the last few weeks from those who fled. Now, after Russian forces withdrew in their repositioning in the east, the true scale of these atrocities has been revealed. Hundreds if not thousands are thought to be dead. Ukraine’s prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, said on Friday 650 bodies had been found – 40 of them children – in the Kyiv region, though the search goes on for more. Russia has repeatedly and vehemently denied targeting civilians and committing war crimes. The Kremlin said on Tuesday that western allegations of civilians executed in Bucha, particularly, were a “monstrous forgery” aimed at denigrating the Russian army. But in more than a dozen interviews, residents of these towns dramatically contradicted these claims. They told of summary executions, torture and civilians shot as they tried to get supplies or flee. Some were reportedly raped. The Independent has stumbled upon mass graves and execution sites, makeshift cemeteries and scenes of alleged torture. In Borodyanka, the gaping wounds of war scar almost every building in the centre; almost every shop has been looted. Empty shoe boxes scatter the main streets – locals say Russians had ransacked a footwear store, trying each pair on for size. Groups including Human Rights Watch say they have documented multiple instances of possible war crimes. The laws of war prohibit the wilful killing, rape and torture, and inhumane treatment of both captured combatants and civilians in custody. Pillage and looting are also prohibited. UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet echoes these warnings. Her office says the horrors uncovered in these towns mark a new low in the war, with victims’ bodies desecrated in death. The testimonies gathered by The Independent tell the true story of this bloody war, and shed light on Russia’s playbook for the entire country as Putin’s onslaught continues. “We were left here alone, abandoned, without water, without food, without electricity, without light,” says Vadym’s sister Julia, 31, in tears as she too awaited news of her mother’s body. “We had no warning, our world just collapsed around us.” The soldiers forced 15-year-old Roman to his knees, pushed his face into the dirt, then fired two warning shots next to his head. The bullets narrowly missed his father Viktor, 40, and a neighbour, who were laying face-down in the ground next to him. They had been lined up for an “execution” in their backyard in Bucha. “Maybe we can waste the old ones and save the young one,” sneered one of the soldiers, pressing the barrel of his gun into Roman’s neck. Moments earlier, Roman and his father had been fixing the roof of their partially destroyed building after hiding in a bunker through three days of intense bombing without food or water. A group of soldiers occupying the area had taken issue with this and ordered them to be summarily executed. “I just remember being upset that my life was going to end in this stupid way,” the teenager says blankly. “But at the last second their commander came and ordered them not to kill us.” Roman’s uncle was not so lucky, says his mother Tanya, 37, adding: “He was killed while trying to find supplies, but we don’t know why.” Roman says they also stumbled upon a neighbour whose body had almost entirely been eaten by rats, and a woman who had been shot in her head, half of which was missing. “We couldn’t work out who she was because there wasn’t enough of her face left,” he adds with a disarming calmness. His street – Vokzalna – looks like it has been mauled. Every house, bar Roman’s, has been grabbed at by a giant claw. In the centre lie the charred remains of a dozen beached Russian armoured vehicles: a column that early in the war had come under ferocious Ukrainian fire. The Ukrainian authorities say at least 300 people have been killed in Bucha – around 50 of them through summary execution, though the death toll rises each day with the discovery of fresh corpses. The only word to describe Bucha and the surrounding towns is haunted. There, wind whips through the rusty ribcages of shops, restaurants and supermarkets, a whisper of what the towns once were. Unexploded missiles and mines are wedged into roads. The walls of homes and fences are etched with “we have not left” and “children are inside” in a desperate bid to avoid being targeted by advancing troops. Still, the front yards have been bulldozed by tank tracks. But the real horror is in the bodies – or bits of bodies – scattered everywhere. Dozens of civilians have been found with their hands tied behind their backs and shot. Other corpses are recognisable only because of the tell-tale flick of a charred spine, or a jaw, wedged inside upturned Russian tanks. The last terrifying moments of families fleeing are frozen in chilling tableaux: in one Bucha neighbourhood, a crashed car is reversed up on to a banked pavement, the bonnet smashed by a shell, as a baby seat still attached to the seat belt hangs on the side. In Hostomel, just north of Bucha, outside one home fragments of skull and brain fleck an airbag – in line with three neat bullet holes through the driver’s headrest. The body of the victim – shot dead as she drove her 11-year-old son – has been buried, a family who rescued the boy explain. He had been found screaming, pinned down beneath his mother’s lifeless body. Across Bucha, Hostomel, Makariv and Borodyanka, communal gardens of Soviet-era flats have become makeshift cemeteries as it was too dangerous to take bodies to morgues. In Bucha we bump into Helena, 61, who shows us three she helped dig outside her flat window. Two contain men who lived in the building and were shot (one had his head smashed in with a blunt object first). The third, a man called Leonid, was killed by a grenade thrown into his flat “for fun”. “It was the most horrific scene I’ve ever seen,” she adds in tears by his grave. “They knocked on his door [and] tossed in the grenade for amusement. He was missing a leg and half of his face. Only a few of us were brave enough to bury him.” In a different neighbourhood, a few residents emerge from the shadow of a ghostly set of flats to show The Independent a hastily dug grave, for a man publicly shot in the central courtyard on 16 March because the Russians accused him of filming from his window. “We were too afraid to bury the body at first because they shot at anyone who walked outside. But then the dogs started to eat him so we asked if we could at least cover him with soil,” says Anya, 70. This is just one of three summary executions that occurred in this block alone, they say. In another, a 14-year-old boy apparently escaped because he played dead next to his father’s corpse. Alexei, 43, who lived two floors above, takes us around the building, showing where Russian forces crowbarred open and ransacked every single apartment. TVs computers, clothes, even towels are gone. The pavement in front of the building is covered in coins. “They looted the entire block of flats, down to the kids’ piggy banks. They were breaking them open here,” Alexei says with a shrug. He adds that residents had to shield themselves by blocking windows with washing machines and heaters. “We needed to protect ourselves from the sniper who would take potshots at people from that window.” On the road from Borodyanka to Makariv, the partially burnt corpse is almost too camouflaged to spot amid the shadows of the wood. Dressed in jeans and a checked shirt, the body’s hands and legs are tied. He is too small to be an adult. The Ukrainian soldiers who found him three days ago while de-mining the area estimate he is no older than 16. Just five metres behind him is the first Russian trench. Ten metres beyond that is a Russian camp clearly abandoned in a hurry. A cafetiere has been left with the last dregs of coffee still in the bottom. Socks and underwear are drying on a tree. In the middle is a chicken coop, with two chickens pecking through two bags of grain split open. There is a half-open sewing kit, and dozens of buttons. A makeshift kitchen has been left with all the supplies intact. “We found a further three more bodies of Ukrainian soldiers whose hands were also tied behind their backs a few hundred metres way ” a soldier, who declines to give his name for security reasons, adds. “We are still trying to identify this teenager and find out what happened.” This teenager is apparently one of dozens of civilians shot by Russian military in Makariv, according to local officials. The Independent could not verify true death tolls but has collected testimonies across the Kyiv region and has seen bodies indicating the practice was prevalent. In Demydiv, 5km north of Kyiv, which was occupied on the first day of the invasion by Russian forces, Denis, 27, who volunteered to distribute food and medicines in the town, tells The Independent he was shot, beaten, stripped and tortured in a basement by Russian forces. A month into the war, Russian troops accused him and one of his friends, also a volunteer, of secretly revealing Russian positions to Ukrainian forces after a strike killed three Russian soldiers in a house they were using. The soldiers shot them, beat them, stripped them and then forced them into the boot of two vehicles, Denis says. The pair were then taken separately to different basements where, bleeding and wounded, they were beaten until their release. “They threatened to behead us and kept saying ‘our soldiers died because of you’,” the young man continues. “They were drunk and beating us continuously. My friend’s foot looks like mince.” In a hospital in Kyiv, Tanya, 50, from Moshun, another satellite town in the Kyiv region, says trigger-happy soldiers shot her husband in the hand, shoulder and leg because he had tried to venture outside to put out a nearby fire started by shelling. She had to make a tourniquet out of bedsheets to keep him from bleeding out as they waited for rescue. And so now, parts of her husband’s leg were being amputated as she spoke to The Independent. “We were also shot when we tried unsuccessfully two times to flee to safety – they were shooting at anyone trying to escape,” she adds. In Bucha, meanwhile, Father Andrei, of St Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints church, says most of the bodies he received had been shot, with their hands tied behind their back. Some also had signs of torture and were blindfolded. The pastor had been forced to dig two huge trenches behind the glittering domes of his church when it became too dangerous to venture to the nearby graveyard and the morgues were overflowing. “At first we had the body bags from the morgue but they quickly ran out so all we could do is place the bodies in this hole,” he says, gesturing to the pit. “We don’t know how many [are] buried here. We stopped counting at 100.” Identifying the bodies is a nightmare, he says, now that they have been exhumed and sent to Kyiv. Locals improvised. One woman – shot as she tried to flee Bucha in her car – was buried with her car number plate to help identify her later. Back in Borodyanka, all Vadym and his sister Yulia can do is stand and wait. Friends who also knew families huddle in tears. Firefighters work hard to peel open the layers of concrete to find bodies. An army of volunteers, meanwhile, work to clear the abandoned streets. “I have no other explanation than it was done on purpose,” says Vadym, gathering his words through several pauses. “This is clearly a residential area, it has no strategic value other than to terrorise the inhabitants.” Together with his sister they piece together the timeline of attack, and realise the fighting worsened after a column of Russian forces was destroyed. “The only way we can see this is that it was a deliberate attack on civilians, that it was personal. {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"DSC05391-2.jpg","description":" ","caption":"Firefighters dig for bodies in the rubble of Borodyanka Firefighters dig for bodies in the rubble of Borodyanka govt and politics","score":0.807709}],"mantis":[{"label":"law_govt_politics","score":0.807709},{"label":"war_conflicts","score":0.947163}]},"sentiment":"veryNegative"},"article":{"title":"In the dark shadow of Putin’s war: Murder mass graves and torture mark a Russian retreat","description":"Special Report: A man watches a Russian missile destroy his family’s home in front of his eyes A teenager avoids a summary execution by seconds Bel Trew finds a Russian retreat marked by a trail of murdered civilians Tuesday World Subscribers only In Zurich the leaf blower war or the anti-'woke' backlash World Subscribers only Germany's Friedrich Merz is embracing pragmatism World Subscribers only Trump-Carney meeting: Canada seeks reconciliation World Subscribers only Friedrich Merz bets on two private sector converts to revive the German economy and reform the state World Subscribers only Founder of Sant'Egidio community fears next pope could undo Francis's legacy Opinion Subscribers only 'Russian gas and Europe is an old story that ended badly Economy Subscribers only Europe's steel industry flattened by crisis World Subscribers only How European countries plan to fund defense efforts France Subscribers only Macron announces citizens' convention on school schedules France Subscribers only 21 charged over French prison attacks as investigation narrows in on drug traffickers France Subscribers only French mosque stabber was driven by 'morbid fascination,' prosecutor says France Subscribers only At the trial of Kim Kardashian's robbers Videos World expos: From Paris 1855 to Osaka 2025 Videos How the Trump administration is attacking scientific research in the US Videos Tesla cars set on fire in Las Vegas as calls to boycott Musk's company grow worldwide Videos Can France's nuclear deterrent protect Europe Opinion Subscribers only 'The American dream is dying' Opinion Subscribers only John Bolton: 'The term chaos is commonly used to describe the top of the Defense Department' Opinion Subscribers only 'It is pointless to imagine a significant wave of American academics leaving' Magazine Subscribers only Tracking down the pianos taken from French Jews during the Nazi Occupation Magazine Subscribers only Eve Rodsky the American helping couples balance the mental load Magazine Subscribers only Desecration or more glory Joan Didion's private diaries are revealed Magazine Subscribers only For Jewish cartoonist Joann Sfar 2025."> Pixels Subscribers only Golden Owl solution is revealed but leaves players of 31-year hunt disappointed Pixels Subscribers only Secrets of decades-long Golden Owl treasure hunt to be revealed Lifestyle Inside Chanel's French leather workshops Culture Subscribers only The marvelous bronzes of Angkor on display at the Musée Guimet in Paris Elected officials in cities including Makariv Borodianka and Boutcha have been targeted by the Russian military to force their citizens to support the Russians in their invasion of Ukraine Many have resisted and some have lost their lives By Thomas d’Istria LAURENT VAN DER STOCKT POUR « LE MONDE » The armed men's fatigues contrasted with the naive and colorful decoration of the Makariv Children and Youth Center The administration of this small war-torn town has moved into this building since the town hall was destroyed by Russian soldiers the mayor said he never considered leaving his job despite the continuous bombing from February 28 to the end of March "I had to stay here to show the territorial defense guys that it was necessary to fight," said Vadym Tokar The mayor of this town located about 50 kilometers from Kyiv was a prime target for the Kremlin forces he showed a message sent by the Russian command advising him to think of his citizens and his family and not to "lead [his city] to a humanitarian catastrophe." The message ended with the warning "Don't let the nationalists hide behind you!" He did not let it get to him After wishing his anonymous correspondent to go through the same "tragedy" as the Ukrainian nation he wrote: "You don't understand our language You have 82.2% of this article left to read Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial