22 bodies from mass grave in Izium have not been identified - city council
As of 20 January 2025, 22 bodies from the mass grave in Izium, Kharkiv region, remain unidentified.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the press centre of the Izium City Council.
It should be reminded that between March and 10 September 2022, the city of Izium was under occupation. During this terrible time, the armed forces of the Russian Federation committed horrific crimes: murders, torture and mass graves of local residents. One of these places was a forest belt near the cemetery on Shakespeare Street in Izium.
"After the liberation of the city, a mass grave was discovered at this site. Thanks to the efforts of the State Emergency Service, volunteers, law enforcement officers and investigators, more than 450 bodies and remains of the victims were exhumed. They were sent to Kharkiv for forensic examinations to determine the cause of death and identification," the statement said.
"Unfortunately, 22 bodies remain unidentified. They were preliminarily recorded as ‘unknown woman’ or ‘unknown man’ because there is no information about their relatives or acquaintances who could provide the necessary evidence to complete the identification process. As a result, it is not yet possible to complete forensic examinations on these individuals. We are appealing to all residents of the community to help us find relatives or provide any information about the victims," the city council added.
As a reminder, after the liberation of Izium in September 2022, law enforcement officers discovered a mass grave in the forest on the outskirts of the city. According to the regional police, 449 bodies (22 soldiers and civilians, several children) were recovered from it, at least 30 of them with signs of torture.
In particular, DNA tests confirmed that the mass grave contained the body of children's writer Volodymyr Vakulenko, who was shot dead by the invaders in the spring of 2022.
On 28 December 2022, it became known that the head of the Izium branch of "Plast", Oleh Yefimenko, was also buried in the forest. Experts confirmed that the man had been tortured.
In early 2024, the National Police reported that 40 victims from the mass grave had not been identified.
