Kharkiv region military administration's head Oleh Syniehubov said that most of the bodies showed signs of a violent death which is a gruesome reminder of the human cost of Russia's invasion.
"There are bodies with a rope around the neck, with hands tied, with broken limbs and with gunshot wounds. Several men had their genitals amputated," Syniehubov said in a Telegram post on Friday, adding, "All this is evidence of the terrible torture to which the occupiers subjected the residents of Izium."
Among other details, Syniehubov said that most of the bodies were civilians and only 21 were military.
Situated near the border between the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions of Ukraine, Izium witnessed intense Russian artillery attacks in April before it was occupied. During the five months of occupation, the place became an important hub for the invading military.
In September, the Ukrainian forces took back control of the city and forced the Russian forces to flee the strategic eastern city.
After regaining thousands of square miles of territory, Syniehubov said that there are three more mass burial ground dicsovered in Kharkiv apart from Izium, which have separate story for each dead body. He vowed to find out the circumstances of each of their deaths.
"All crimes of the occupiers will be documented, and the perpetrators will pay for what they have done," Syniehubov said.
Around 200 people – including forensic experts, police officers, and employees of the State Emergency Service – have been helping the Ukrainian forces whom Syniehubov thanked.
