As Russian forces have retreated from northern Ukraine, the impact on civilians has been made clear as according to the British Ministry of Defence, hostages have been used as human shields and mass graves uncovered. Speaking to the media on Friday, Makariv’s Mayor Vadym Tokar reported over 130 bodies had been discovered in a town located some 50 km west of capital Kyiv.
He said: “As of yesterday, we have found 132 civilians who have been shot dead by the Russian ‘orcs’.”
He said besides the bodies in the mass grave, corpses were also found in the streets of the town.
Mr Tokar added that 40 percent of the entire town has been destroyed and many of the buildings cannot be restored.
He said: “The occupiers destroyed almost all infrastructure, bombed (homes) and apartment buildings, completely destroyed hospitals and kindergartens.”
According to the Mayor, 15,000 people lived in Makariv before Russia began its invasion on February 24 and now less than 1,000 remain.
Similar scenes have been found in the nearby town of Bucha, where more than 300 dead civilians were discovered. The majority had also been gunned down.
Workers unearthed bodies from a mass grave in the commuter town, as graphic evidence of dozens of killings emerged following the withdrawal of Russian forces.
It also comes after two Russian missiles struck a railway station in the eastern city of Kramatorsk, killing at least 52 people who were attempting to flee west.
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Other countries should follow the example of the United Kingdom, Zelensky said, adding it is time “to impose a full embargo on Russia’s energy sector, to increase the provision of weapons to Ukraine.
“We need to further strengthen our anti-war coalition. We hope that London will play a key role in this process,” he said.
Mr Zelensky said the two leaders also talked about rebuilding Ukraine.
He said: “Together, we will be rebuilding our country and our cities.”
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed a new general to direct the war in Ukraine as his military shifts plans after a failure to take Kyiv, according to US and European officials.
The officials told CNN Army Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, commander of Russia’s Southern Military District, has been named theatre commander of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.