President Zelenskyy commemorates anniversary of Bucha liberation

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the statement to commemorate the events.

"Bucha. 33 days of occupation. More than 1,400 deaths, including 37 children. More than 175 people were found in mass graves and torture chambers. 9,000 Russian war crimes," the head of state wrote.

Zelenskyy emphasized that it has been 365 days since Bucha became a free Ukrainian city again, and it is a symbol of the atrocities of the Russian army.

"We will never forgive. We will punish every perpetrator," the president added.

For reference. The battle for control of Bucha between the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces and other armed groups during the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 25, 2022. As part of the offensive against Kyiv, Russian forces attempted to control Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel in order to surround and besiege the Ukrainian capital Kyiv from the west. Russian columns moved from Belarus through Chornobyl, Ivankiv, and Dymer.

Due to the intensity of the offensive on Kyiv, the Military Regional Administration named Bucha, as well as Irpin, Hostomel, the M06 highway, and Vyshhorod as the most dangerous places in the region. The Ukrainian Armed Forces regained control of the city on March 31, 2022.

Ukrposhta is issuing a stamp "We will not forget! We will not forgive! Bucha. Irpin. Hostomel” to commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of the three cities in the Kyiv region on March 31. 

• On April 23, 2022, the exhumation of the dead was completed in Bucha and 412 bodies of civilians killed by Russian troops were found. 

• On May 17, Dmitry Peskov called the massacres of civilians in Bucha by Russian troops a "bloodthirsty" fake by Western PR specialists.