Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday, September 15 the discovery of a “mass grave” in the city of Izioum taken back from the Russians as part of the counter-offensive carried out in the Kharkiv region (east). These new findings recall the horror of Boutcha, a martyred city near kyiv where evidence of war crimes by the Russian army had multiplied in the spring. “Ukrainian and international journalists will come to Izium. We want the world to know what is really happening and what the Russian occupation has led to. Bucha, Mariupol, now, unfortunately, Izium…”, whispered Volodymyr Zelensky in his daily video address, though he did not share more details about the number of people buried or the causes of their deaths. An adviser to the presidency mentioned the presence of “450 graves”.
At the same time, as Ukraine continues its advance eastward to regain control of its territory after the Russian invasion on February 24, Europe and the United States have reaffirmed their support for kyiv. “You will have your European friends by your side for as long as it takes. We are friends for life,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The United States followed this momentum by announcing $600 million in military aid to Ukraine.
The liberation of the city of Izioum, which was home to just under 50,000 inhabitants before the war, could lead to macabre discoveries. Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday the discovery of a “mass grave” before commenting: “Russia is leaving death everywhere behind it. (…) The world must really hold Russia responsible for this war. We will do anything for it.” The Ukrainian president promises “clear and verified information” which should be released this Friday to corroborate his accusations. He invited journalists to go there and document the existence of this mass grave.
“Four hundred and fifty graves” were discovered near Izium, a city in eastern Ukraine recently retaken from Russian forces, said presidential adviser Mykhaïlo Podoliak. “This is just one of the mass burial sites discovered near Izioum,” he wrote on Twitter. “For months, terror, violence, torture and mass murder reigned supreme in the occupied territories,” he added.
This communication comes shortly after a regional police official, Serguiï Botvinov, spoke on Sky News of “440 bodies” while outlining the causes of death: “We know that some were shot, others died at because of artillery fire, trauma from mine explosions. Some died in airstrikes. We also have information that many bodies have not yet been identified.” The UN announced in the morning its desire to send a team on the spot as soon as possible.
Finally, “ten torture rooms” were exhumed in the Kharkiv region, national police chief Igor Klymenko said on Friday. Including two in the small town of Balakliïa.
The White House validated, on the night of Thursday to this Friday, September 16, a new component of its military assistance to Ukraine. The amount should this time rise to 600 million dollars. This new boost consists of equipment and services, but also training without the American executive giving more details on the type of armaments provided. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States has already delivered more than $15 billion in military assistance to kyiv.
The American authorities have also announced a new salvo of sanctions targeting around twenty Russian personalities. Bankers, a Nazi paramilitary group and a close friend of Vladimir Putin are concerned. Their assets are frozen and their access to the international market is limited. “The United States will continue to take strong action to hold Russia accountable for its war crimes, atrocities and aggression,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.
The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday adopted a resolution calling on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine’s Zaporizhia power plant. Russian army forces took possession of the facility from the first days of its invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the Ukrainian and Russian staffs have accused each other of targeting the nuclear power plant, posing serious security risks.
The text, submitted by Poland and Canada, was approved by 26 of the 35 states sitting on the Council, Russia and China voting against, said a diplomat contacted by AFP. Seven countries also abstained: South Africa, Burundi, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Senegal and Vietnam. Three IAEA experts are still on site.
“Putin must lose this war and answer for his actions, it’s important to me,” Ursula von der Leyen insisted on the daily Bild television channel. The President of the European Commission, traveling to kyiv on Thursday, was offensive: “This is why we support the collection of evidence for proceedings before the International Criminal Court.”
According to the estimate shared Thursday by the US analysis body, Conflict Observatory, backed by Washington, about 15% of Ukraine’s grain storage capacity has been lost since the start of the war. Of the approximately 58 million tons in storage capacity in Ukraine, the Russians took control of 6.24 million and 2.25 million were destroyed, the report said. A situation that poses the threat of an imbalance for world food security. Ukraine was, before the war, regularly presented as the pantry on which many countries depend, especially on the African continent.
