“There was no good reason for them. They were not guerrillas, they were not people who opposed them. It remains to be seen from the evidence gathered whether these crimes will qualify for the crimes of genocide.” Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Mr Zelensky, said the liberated cities had revealed a “post-apocalyptic picture” of life under Russian occupation. He said: “Victims of war crimes have already been found, including raped women who tried to burn, local government officials killed, children killed, elderly people killed, men killed, many of them handcuffed, tortured and shot. the back of the head. Robberies, attempts to obtain gold, valuables, carpets, washing machines “. Ukrainian officials also said Russian troops were holding 11 mayors and killing one detainee. In a message posted on social media, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said local leaders from the Kiev, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Donetsk regions were “in Russian captivity.” On Saturday, Mr Zelenksy warned that retreating Russian troops were creating a “catastrophic” situation, leaving mines around the bodies of the dead, as well as abandoned equipment and homes.
