Ivan Volodymyrovych has had only a few nights of restful sleep since Russian forces fled, taking with them artillery and rocket launchers that had carried the lightning bolt for weeks in this rural area east of Kiev in a failed attempt. invading soldiers to hit their way to the capital. But here, as elsewhere, the sudden calm only brought new light to the account of a Russian invasion that left behind tortured bodies and deadly fields. Immediately after the withdrawal of Russian forces, a Ukrainian ammunition group located 17 ammunitions in a single square kilometer of land managed by the company Agro-Region, where Mr. Volodymyrovych works as a farm manager. Ammunition experts removed most of the ammunition in the Territory, allowing the tractors to get to work quickly. One week ago, the idea of sowing crops here seemed ridiculous, with a raging conflict that has killed many thousands and raised concerns about emerging food shortages. Rapid plowing and fertilization of fields east of Kiev demonstrates the strength of Ukraine’s continued determination, although Russia’s retreat has revealed new atrocities – particularly against civilians living in the western suburbs of Kiev, where dead women have been found naked. tied hands and heads shot from the back. On Monday, US President Joe Biden called Russian Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” and vowed to gather evidence for a trial as the United States continues to equip Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron said the horrific images that emerged from Kyiv, including the city of Bucha, showed “very clear signs of war crimes.” Lithuania has said it will deport the Russian ambassador and bring back its envoy to Moscow. Germany deported 40 Russian diplomats, with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock saying that what happened in Bucha revealed the “incredible barbarity of the Russian leadership and those who follow its propaganda.” Canada has promised new sanctions against 10 people it called close allies of the Russian and Belarusian regimes to facilitate and facilitate the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Ottawa did not name the people. Ukraine, however, has called for even more punitive international action against Russia, with Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba saying “half a meter is no longer enough”. The country tried to use the horror displayed around Kyiv to urge action. Officials toured foreign journalists on Monday in Motyzhyn, a village southwest of Bucha, where the mayor was partially buried in a pit next to her husband and son. Russia has denied any responsibility for the deaths of civilians, arguing against the allegations that the bodies were staged in the streets. President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Bucha on Monday to see for himself. “It’s important to show the world what the Russian Federation and the Russian military have done here,” he said, calling it “simply unthinkable.” “Children were killed, women were raped,” he said, vowing to hold Russia accountable for “the acts they committed.” Ukraine’s defense minister, meanwhile, has warned of a worsening situation, citing moves by Russian troops and weapons in preparation for a new offensive in Kharkov, the country’s second-largest city. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned against returning to the capital immediately, saying many unexploded ordnance had not yet been cleared and that further rocket attacks remained possible. How to remove unexploded ordnance has become one of the central questions for Ukrainian farmers. After being defused by a munitions disposal team, Ukrainian farmers use a tractor to lift the wreckage of a Russian rocket from the ground on March 30. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine says it is impossible to estimate how much ammunition is left to be neutralized. The Globe and Mail After the Russian troops abandoned the positions they had used to fire rockets and shells at the territories managed by Mr. Volodymyrovych, he called in an ammunition neutralization team. It used drones and metal detection equipment to locate unexploded ordnance, including a 500-pound bomb. As soon as the experts turned off the rockets, Mr. Volodymyrovich άνδ’s men used agricultural equipment to pull them by the tail. “The tractor was on the pitch a few minutes later,” said Mr Volodymyrovych, whom The Globe and Mail recognizes by his patronymic for fearing a Russian return and revenge. While the tractor was working, the smoke of the battle was still flowing from the horizon, as the Ukrainian army was chasing the fleeing Russian forces. Five or 10 days later and it would be too late to plant crops such as sunflowers. “We were very lucky that our armed forces fired at the enemy, giving us the opportunity to advance in these fields,” said Mr Volodymyrovych, wearing a military vest and holding a rifle. Like other farmers here, he belongs to a local militia group of the Territorial Defense Forces. However, three unexploded rockets remain in the fields of the Agro-Region, wedged deep into the ground, with their positions marked with empty water bottles. They were left behind when the demining crew was called for more urgent urban needs in Bucha and other satellite cities west of Kiev. Ukraine says its State Emergency Service has about 500 specialists trained to neutralize the remaining ammunition. However, it is impossible to estimate how much ammunition is left, she said in a statement on Monday. And the success of the Agro-Region in resuming work sheds light on the vastness of the effort facing Ukraine, even in war-torn areas. It took the demining crew six hours to inspect 136 hectares, Volodymyrovych said. The Agro-Region alone exploits 12,000 acres in the region. Most of this land was not affected by the fighting, but Mr. Volodymyrovych pointed to a series of trees marking the edge of an area that until recently was occupied by Russia. It is a large mass of land that extends to the borders of Russia and Belarus. Landmines could be hidden anywhere, terrorizing farmers. “There is a risk that the planting season will not start in any of the occupied territories,” Volodymyrovych said. Perhaps the worst are the naval mines found in the Black Sea. Their presence has helped ensure that shipping can not resume in ports vital to Ukraine’s agricultural exports, which meet large percentages of global wheat, corn and sunflower oil needs. Millions of tonnes from the 2021 harvest remain in warehouses and barns, unable to find a way out (train export efforts have proved slow and costly). Even if farmers can plant this year, they have little certainty that they will be able to sell what they reap. “We will sow as much as possible, hoping that the world will unite and we will finally push Russia to unblock exports,” said Agro-Region CEO Kateryna Rybachenko. “Otherwise, people will face many more problems, such as food shortages when inflation is at record highs.” Warning: this video contains graphic content. The discovery of a mass grave and tied-up corpses shot shortly after in Bukha, outside Kyiv, a city captured behind Russian troops, seemed ready to mobilize the United States and Europe for additional sanctions against Moscow. Reuters Our Morning and Afternoon newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
