Over 40 bodies found under east Ukraine building: officials

Rescuers discovered the bodies of 44 civilians under the rubble of a destroyed building in the eastern Ukrainian town of Izyum, which is now under Russian control, on Tuesday, according to the regional governor.

“The bodies of 44 civilians were found in Izyum under the rubble of a five-storey building which was destroyed by the occupiers in early March,” Oleg Synegubov, governor of the eastern Kharkiv region, said on Telegram.

Although fighting continues in the area, he told local media that the discovery was made while residents were clearing rubble from an area “where there is no shelling.”

Synegubov did not say who had removed the bodies nor how they had managed to do so given that the town fell to Russian troops on April 1 after several weeks of heavy fighting.

Much of the surrounding area is also under Russian control.

Following the discovery, the regional prosecutor’s office said it had opened an investigation into “violations of the laws and customs of war,” adding that 14 of the bodies had already been identified.

“According to the investigation, the Russian military systematically shelled Izyum between March 7-10. As a result, public infrastructure and residential buildings were destroyed,” it said on Telegram.