Ukraine says Russian forces have now left the region around Kyiv, leaving behind them a trail of horror found by a Ukrainian military that has wowed the world with its determined defence against the invasion. FRANCE 24’s Gulliver Cragg reports.
Bucha district, northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, saw fierce fighting and a majority of its population flee. It was also home to the world’s biggest cargo plane, a prominent source of Ukrainian pride that was destroyed on the first day of fighting – some say in a bid to break the country’s spirit.
After retaking Hostomel airfield, the site of the wrecked plane, Ukrainian soldier Roman was keen to emphasise that any sense of triumph would be premature: “This isn’t victory, yet. It’s just the beginning. Victory will be when they’ve all gone. So much grief.”
The towns in this district have been devastated. In one area spared the worst of the violence, resident Valentyna talked about the privation she suffered: “The Russians were here, they went from house to house, looking for something – I don’t know what they were looking for. Since the 4th of March we’ve had no electricity, no water, no gas… so we cook our food out here.”
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