There is the charred body of an unidentified man, resting on an anti-tank barrier made of I-beams outside a city that has been under the control of both sides for the last few days. There are dead soldiers, apparently Russians, four of them arranged in a Z like the military symbol found on Russian armored vehicles, visible on Russian drones constantly buzzing from above. The door of an apartment opens to three corpses inside. How exactly one of these things happened will probably never be known. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, has been under constant Russian attack since the start of the war in late February. As the Russian offensive intensifies in the east, the Russian offensive has intensified. Considered a strategic and industrial prize, the area on the outskirts of the eastern city has been tossing and turning between Russian and Ukrainian forces for weeks, as battles shift from village to village. Many, but by no means all, of Kharkiv’s 1 million inhabitants have fled. Associated Press reporters saw the corpses formed in Z, wearing the white arm belts commonly used by Russian soldiers and along with some Russian medical kits. They were on the front line fighting for days. She and the burnt man were taken to a morgue on Monday. There was no explanation for the formation of Z – a symbol of the Russian invasion – nor the burnt body resting on the dam. Or it could be considered a war crime, for disrespecting the dignity of the dead. This will be followed by an investigation into their identities, perhaps an attempt to alert the family. But even that is hard to get rid of. The body of a man with Ukrainian insignia turned out to have the identity of a Russian soldier. The apartment where the three bodies were found had been severely bombed, but it was not clear what killed them. Bombings and airstrikes are a daily threat everywhere, for everyone. And, as long as this remains true, death can come at any time, without anyone around answering why. It was a rare glimpse into the deaths and horrors of war. It was difficult to get a full picture of the unfolding battle in eastern Ukraine because airstrikes and artillery barricades have made it extremely dangerous for journalists to move around. Russia has severely curtailed references to the battle zone. The Ukrainian government has imposed fewer limits, mainly on how quickly material can be published or for military installations. According to the Red Cross, the mutilation of corpses in international armed conflicts is covered by the war crime of “insulting personal dignity” according to the Statute of the International Criminal Court, which according to Elements of Crimes also applies to the dead.
title: “Death In Kharkov Ukraine Is Everywhere Rarely Explained Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-17” author: “Trisha Carnillo”
There is the charred body of an unidentified man, resting on an anti-tank barrier made of I-beams outside a city that has been under the control of both sides for the last few days. There are dead soldiers, apparently Russians, four of them arranged in a Z like the military symbol found on Russian armored vehicles, visible on Russian drones constantly buzzing from above. The door of an apartment opens to three corpses inside. How exactly one of these things happened will probably never be known. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, has been under constant Russian attack since the start of the war in late February. As the Russian offensive intensifies in the east, the Russian offensive has intensified. Considered a strategic and industrial prize, the area on the outskirts of the eastern city has been tossing and turning between Russian and Ukrainian forces for weeks, as battles shift from village to village. Many, but by no means all, of Kharkiv’s 1 million inhabitants have fled. Associated Press reporters saw the corpses formed in a Z, wearing the white arm straps commonly used by Russian soldiers and with some Russian medical kits next to them. They were on the front line fighting for days. She and the burnt man were taken to a morgue on Monday. There was no explanation for the formation of Z – a symbol of the Russian invasion – nor the burnt body resting on the dam. Or it could be considered a war crime, for disrespecting the dignity of the dead. This will be followed by an investigation into their identities, perhaps an attempt to alert the family. But even that is hard to get rid of. The body of a man with Ukrainian insignia turned out to have the identity of a Russian soldier. The apartment where the three bodies were found had been severely bombed, but it was not clear what killed them. The story goes on Bombings and airstrikes are a daily threat everywhere, for everyone. And, as long as this remains true, death can come at any time, without anyone around answering why. It was a rare glimpse into the deaths and horrors of war. It was difficult to get a full picture of the unfolding battle in eastern Ukraine because airstrikes and artillery barricades have made it extremely dangerous for journalists to move around. Russia has severely curtailed references to the battle zone. The Ukrainian government has imposed fewer limits, mainly on how quickly material can be published or for military installations. In Washington on Monday, a senior U.S. defense official said Ukrainian forces had pushed Russian forces farther away from Kharkov in the past 48 hours, even when it was under Russian airstrikes. The Russians have now been pushed about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the city, further into the Donbas area, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the US military assessment. According to the Red Cross, the mutilation of corpses in international armed conflicts is covered by the war crime of “insulting personal dignity” according to the Statute of the International Criminal Court, which according to Elements of Crimes also applies to the dead.
Associated Press author Lolita Baldor in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
