In the recently liberated town of Lyman in the Donetsk region, over 50 graves containing civilians have been discovered. This finding was reported by our correspondent on the ground, highlighting the grim aftermath of the occupation.
During the occupation, Russian forces dug trenches and coerced locals, suspected of collaborating with Ukrainian military forces, to collect and rebury the bodies of the deceased. A young man, who was detained and forced to bury the dead, shared that not all the buried individuals have been identified. Some bodies had been left on the streets for extended periods, and victims of shelling were sometimes buried by their neighbors.
The occupying forces did not retrieve the bodies of their own soldiers. In one instance, Russian troops had set up a medical post in a local house. Upon retreating, they evacuated the wounded but left the dead behind. The cemetery now holds more than 50 people, with some graves marked by nameplates, while others are simply numbered.
On October 1st, during the day, Serhiy Cherevaty, the spokesperson for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, confirmed that Ukrainian troops had entered Lyman. Although fighting was ongoing, it was reported that Russian forces were surrendering to Ukrainian defenders. Around 5,000 Russian troops were reportedly encircled by Ukrainian forces in the area.
By the evening of October 1st, the Office of the President announced that Ukrainian forces had liberated and taken control of Lyman. The Russian Ministry of Defense acknowledged the Ukrainian advance, stating that their troops withdrew from the town to avoid encirclement, moving to more advantageous positions.
Prior to this, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had liberated five nearby settlements: Yampil, Novoselivka, Shandryholove, Drobysheve, and Stavky, where stabilization efforts are ongoing.
У звільненому Лимані знайшли понад 50 свіжих поховань із цивільними (ФОТО) | hromadske