Throughout more than five months of Russian occupation, Ukrainian residents of Izium were subjected to terror and violence. The scale of the tragedy and the number of those killed and tortured are even beyond that of the Bucha massacre: the death toll is over 1,000, reports say. Putin seeks to destroy the Ukrainians as a nation, akin to how Hitler sought to annihilate the Jews. This article describes the details of the evil and grief that the “Russian world” brought to Ukrainians in Izium. Wherever they set their foot, the Russians bring devastation and death: this is it’s the objective truth.
On September 11, the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated the town of Izium as part of a major counteroffensive in Kharkiv region. This settlement was of exceptional tactical importance for the Russian occupation forces, as well as an extremely significant transport and logistics hub. Izium had been under Russian occupation for five and a half months since early April. Russian propaganda did its best to claim that the Russians were actually helping the locals, and that «Russia is here forever.» After the restoration of Ukrainian control of the area, shocking details were exposed: the occupation administration resorted to horrendous acts of violence and terror against local residents, with Russian troops carrying out genocide of Ukrainians, which essentially became one of the goals of Putin’s war.
Ukraine has repeatedly stated in the past that the humanitarian situation of the Russian-occupied territories could turn catastrophic, especially since Russia created an information blockade, hindering local people’s access to truthful information. As expected, the Russian occupation of Izium involved a series of bloody crimes against Ukrainians. Some 460 graves were discovered: bodies were buried out in the forest strip, while hundreds of locals vanished without a trace. Russians destroyed 80% of the city’s housing stock as the invasion forces fired 10 times more missiles at Izium than they did at Mariupol. Anything at least slightly related to Ukraine was being mercilessly destroyed and trampled upon: symbols, textbooks, and language. While Russians entered Izium under the «Russia is here forever!» slogan, the occupation was a total tragedy for the locals, who either had no opportunity or willingness to evacuate. Interrogations and torture immediately kicked off. Almost every adult was confronted as to their possible cooperation with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Humanitarian aid was over once the Russian forces plundered local shops and pharmacies.
Today, Izium is a ghost town, with its houses destroyed, parks and squares scorched. Eyewitnesses who were lucky enough to survive the Russian occupation say that enemy warplanes would drop bombs directly on apartment blocks… Dozens of families perished under the rubble. The exit from the city was shut by Russian troops, who felt at home in the seized town. The male population was subjected to particularly violent interrogations as the Russians sought to identify military personnel or those who had taken part in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Donbas. There is evidence of multiple rape cases in the early days of the occupation. Women were at risk even if they simply walked out of shelters. Devastation reigned in the city, while the invaders found it important to draw their notorious letter Z over Ukrainian national symbols across town. The corrupting essence of the «Russian world» was manifested in the fact that the soldiers originally from Russia’s distant region of Tuva, who made up almost half of the Russian contingent, turned a local Orthodox churches into a restroom.
As new random graves are being discovered, local residents who remained in town are seen as a completely demoralized population. Izium is no longer fit for normal life, especially considering the impending colds. The humanitarian situation is very difficult, so Ukraine urgently needs to restore infrastructure and communications. If this fails to be done, people will simply freeze to death this winter.
In every settlement that was or is under Russian occupation, the “Bucha tragedy” repeats itself. In fact, it has become a symbol of Russian evil and hate toward Ukrainians. Putin has stripped his “special military operation” of any sense as it has turned into an absolute genocide targeting the Ukrainians. Over the 23 years of de facto rule, Putin has turned Russia into a reservation of evil and destruction, an unprecedented threat to the West. The Russian army will kill everyone, everywhere it goes, so it must be defeated in Ukraine. This is a matter of the very existence of the civilized world as we know it.