Space imaging company Maxar Technologies published satellite images over the weekend that appear to show earthworks of a mass grave in the wake of the …
Space imaging company Maxar Technologies published satellite images over the weekend that appear to show earthworks of a mass grave in the wake of the withdrawing Russian army at Bucha, Ukraine. Reuters reported on Sunday its journalists on the ground in Bucha had witnessed a mass grave at a church, but could not confirm if it was the same site that Maxar’s satellites pictured (see above). The photos surfaced after the publication of shocking images from Bucha this weekend following the departure of Russian forces, taken by journalists for Getty Images, the Associated Press, and other international institutions. The photos showed Bucha’s streets littered with corpses, incinerated vehicles, and war debris. Ukrainian officials claim some of the corpses had their hands tied and showed clear signs of being civilians, indicating war crimes had taken place. Russia has characteristically denied any involvement with the mass graves or any other evidence of atrocities and is calling for a U.N. Security Council meeting to condemn Ukraine for accusing Russia of war crimes in Bucha. Going further, Russian officials accused Ukrainian soldiers of committing atrocities against the country’s own civilians. Maxar published two images of the site of Bucha’s Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints, one reportedly taken on March 10 and another on March 31. The first appears to show excavation; the latter a mound of soil that suggests burial. Maxar reportedly did not attempt to independently confirm that the site was a mass grave with on-the-ground research, but did refer to a “grave site” on the photos, according to Reuters. NEW: A mass grave has been identified in Bucha, Ukraine, northwest of Kyiv. The first signs of the excavation were seen on March 10th. More recent coverage on March 31st shows the grave site with an approximately 45-foot long trench. ????: @Maxar pic.twitter.com/Omk7Y1Wb3r Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) April 3, 2022 Reuters added to Maxar’s reporting by stating that its journalists in Bucha found mass graves. “Reuters journalists who visited Bucha on Saturday saw bodies lying on the streets of the town,37 km (23 miles) northwest of the capital Kyiv,” the news agency asserted.
