Identification of 75 people killed by Russians continues in Kharkiv region

This was reported by Serhii Bolvinov, Head of the Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kharkiv region, in an interview with Ukrinform.

"At the moment, we have information on 75 murdered individuals who have not been identified. Most of these people are from the mass burial site. I would like to remind you that we exhumed 448 bodies there, which were simply thrown into the ground and buried without coffins, without any bags… This is an enormous number. The identification process is quite complicated — not just for Kharkiv or Ukrainian police in general, but it is also complex and time-consuming worldwide," Bolvinov stated.

According to him, out of the total 75, as many as 52 are specifically from the Izium burial site.

"We know where and who found each of these bodies, under what circumstances, and when they were buried. For each deceased person, we create a map-scheme tracking the movement of the body from the point of discovery to the burial site. Legally, they are all considered unidentified. However, for 26 of them, we have an idea of who they might be, but we do not have matching DNA. There are various cases. For example, some families have left the country, and close relatives have not yet been able to provide us with DNA samples. So, there are certain procedures in progress. In some cases, there are no DNA matches because the comparison sample was provided by a distant relative," the investigation chief explained.

In addition to those from the Izium burial, there are bodies found in other locations about which nothing is known.

"There are bodies that were found right in the forest, and they are in very poor condition. I am very grateful to the forensic experts for their daily meticulous work because they are striving to reduce the number of unidentified bodies to zero. Without identifying these individuals, we cannot proceed with the investigation of their deaths," Bolvinov noted.

According to police data, from February 24, 2022, to November 5 2024, a total of 2,750 civilians were killed in Kharkiv region due to the actions of the Russian forces, including 95 children.

As reported, after the liberation of Izium in September 2022, law enforcement discovered a mass burial site in a forest on the outskirts. Authorities exhumed 448 bodies (including over 20 servicemen and several children). Most people died as a result of shelling in the town.

DNA testing confirmed that the mass grave included the body of children's writer Volodymyr Vakulenko, who was shot by the occupiers in the spring of 2022.

On December 28, 2022, it became known that Oleh Yefimenko, head of the Izium branch of the Plast youth organization, was also buried in the forest. Experts confirmed that he had been tortured.