Forensic investigators are reportedly already at work in Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, where grisly evidence has been found that could point to war crimes committed by Russian troops during their occupation of the area.
Journalists brought in by Ukrainian troops who have retaken various towns around the capital have been shown bodies of civilians with their hands tied, apparently executed, as well as evidence that women were raped before being murdered. If confirmed, this would be evidence that the Russian forces committed war crimes. It will be up to the investigators to determine this.
The work of forensic archaeologists and forensic anthropologists tends to focus on finding and identifying people’s bodies so that the remains can be returned to their families and given a proper burial. But there is also the question in many cases of how the person died. This is key for providing transitional justice after a conflict like the war raging in Ukraine, where there is now a search for evidence to prove criminal activity on the part of the occupying troops.
