![]() ![]() Those who died or were killed during this period were hastily buried in makeshift graves. After a few days they would be released, intimidated and reluctant to talk about their experiences. Ihor said that Russians had taken people to detention centre basements for questioning. If no one was there, they climbed over the fence and took everything.” They were checking to see if anyone was home. “I tried not to leave my house because as soon as I left, Russian soldiers stole potatoes from me,” said local man Ihor. In any case, he continued, people stayed at home as much as possible so as to escape the attention of the occupying forces. Curfew times, either from 5pm or 8pm in the evening, can still be seen daubed on bus stops and on fences. Izyum resident Ihor said that locals were forced to live according to the strict regime imposed by the Russians. Testimonies are also emerging about civilians subjected to widescale torture in Russian army prisons. Ukrainian investigators are now excavating hundreds of graves in the city’s pine forest, with more than 150 bodies discovered so far. The occupation lasted for nearly six months, during which time Russian forces used the city as a logistical hub and key base for strikes in the eastern Donbas region. Here and there lie the blackened walls of apartments wrecked in airstrikes. Inside the city, along a main road patrolled by Russian troops just a week ago, a sign reading Izyum Welcomes Guests is surrounded by looted shops and gas stations. Everyone is searched, and even volunteers bringing in badly-needed humanitarian aid must obtain authorisation from the military administration. Entry into the newly-liberated city of Izyum begins with a Ukrainian army checkpoint. ![]()
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