ANKARA

The Ukrainian president on Friday said that the bodies found in the mass graves in the city of Izium, which was recently recaptured from Russian forces, bear signs of torture.

“Today there is already evidence of further atrocities committed during the Russian occupation. The body of a person, who was strangled with a rope, was buried with it around his neck. (There are) Bodies with broken arms and other signs of abuse,” said Zelenskyy in a video address.

“A mass grave with murdered soldiers - 17 bodies - some of them with obvious traces of torture. The world should see it today,” he added.
The world should know that “Russia leaves such traces of atrocities, traces of terror everywhere on the occupied territory,” Zelenskyy said, adding: “You have seen Bucha. You have seen Mariupol. Now Izium.”

He reiterated his call for recognizing Russia as a “state sponsor of terrorism.”

“Russia has already become the largest source of terrorism in the world, and no other terrorist power leaves behind so many deaths. This must be recognized legally. We must act,” he added.

Zelenskyy said that not recognizing Russia as a “state sponsor of terrorism” would be “a betrayal to all those who were killed, who were tortured and who were buried in numerous mass graves throughout the territory invaded by Russians.”