In March, a Russian paratrooper unit killed dozens of people in a single street in the Ukrainian city of Bocha. This happened on Jabloenska Street. The New York Times reports that he used private phone recordings, documents, interviews, and thousands of hours of video material. The street is now referred to by locals as the “Street of Death”.
In May of this year, the same newspaper published footage allegedly showing Russian soldiers involved in executions.
The newspaper now concludes, after an eight-month investigation, that the perpetrators of the Jabloenska Street massacre were Russian paratroopers of the 234th Air Assault Regiment led by Lieutenant Colonel Artyom Gorodilov. Evidence includes equipment, markings on uniforms, radio communications and ammo box documents.
stolen phones
Local residents tell the newspaper that in most cases their cell phones are stolen right away. The phones of the killed civilians were also confiscated. Several military personnel also used these stolen phones.
According to the New York Times, data from Ukrainian authorities shows that Russian soldiers used these phones to call relatives in Russia. This sometimes happened just hours after the death of the rightful owner. The newspaper then identified the phone numbers sought and in this way was able to identify twenty soldiers.
These images of events in Bocha were published in late May via the New York Times:
The massacre was part of the Russian army’s attempt to advance into the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. Soldiers shot unarmed men and killed people who disobeyed Russian orders. These were children running away with their relatives, locals looking for food, or those who wanted to go home by bike.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk recently dealt with war crimes in Boocha. Türk said 14 civilians (10 men, 3 women and 1 girl) were shot dead and left behind on Jabloenska Street.
In total, the UN has now documented 73 murders in Boocha. The organization is investigating another 105 civilians killed in Boocha.
Russia has repeatedly denied all allegations and stated that the Russian military does not target civilians.
Source: NOS
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
