Variation #8
By KS Lack
Print: Artist Proof 7/10
Frame: wooden crosses
One of Russia’s key objectives in launching its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022 was to take control of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.(A) Although they ultimately failed, Russian forces did capture some areas surrounding Kyiv, including Bucha.
The Russians first entered Bucha on February 27th, leading to a period of intense back-and-forth fighting for control of the city. Ukrainian forces attempted to evacuate civilians, but amid the chaos, many residents were still in Bucha when the Russians finally seized full control on March 12, 2022.
Located less than 20 miles from the center of Kyiv, Bucha had been a peaceful suburb with parks and tree-lined streets—a haven for families. By the time Ukrainian forces reclaimed the city on March 31st, Bucha had been transformed into a place of devastation and death.
Upon liberating the city, Ukrainian forces found bodies piled along the streets, many with their hands tied behind their backs and a bullet in the head. Friends and families discovered their loved ones shot to death in their homes. Survivors recounted hiding from Russian soldiers, who roamed the city with lists of people marked for execution. Eventually, Ukrainian authorities were able to identify 458 bodies; 419 of which had been shot or tortured to death. These findings were collaborated by numerous news agencies and the UN. Despite this overwhelming evidence, Russia has denied that the massacre even occurred.
Bucha was the first place to draw worldwide attention for Russia’s brutality, but it is far from the only one. Sumy, Chernikiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Donetsk—mass killings have been reported wherever Russian forces have taken control. As Russia continues to suppress information from the occupied regions, these atrocities only come to light when Ukrainian forces liberate them. Who knows how many more have been murdered in areas still under Russian control?
Russia continues to deny these mass killings.(B) By doing so, the Russian government not only permits these atrocities but actively encourages them, once again proving that this war is not merely about land or subjugation—it is about annihilation.
A) For more on the full-scale invasion, see Variation #4.
B) These denials are just a part of Russia’s campaign of disinformation. For more on this topic, see Variation #3.
See below for further reading and background. Data updated September 2024.
Battle of Bucha, Wikipedia.
War in Ukraine: Street in Bucha found strewn with dead bodies, BBC, 2 April 22.
Uncovering the scope of the Bucha massacre, The Kyiv Independent, 22 April 22.
Accounting of bodies in Bucha nears completion, The Washington Post, 8 Aug 22.
Caught on Camera, Traced by Phone: The Russian Military Unit that Killed Dozens in Bucha, The New York Times, 22 Dec 22.
New report by UN Human Rights shows the shocking toll of the war in Ukraine, United Nations, 29 Jun 22.
Russia denies killing civilians in Ukraine’s Bucha, Reuters, 3 April 22.
Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions of civilians in territories of Ukraine under the Russian Federation's control, Media Initiative for Human Rights, Apr 24.