Russian forces killed 132 civilians in Makarev in the Kyiv region, the city’s mayor said on Friday as Ukrainian officials continue to assess the extent of destruction in the capital and the country’s north.
Local officials collected the bodies and said they had been shot by Russian forces, Mayor Vadim Tokar told Ukraine’s Parliament TV.
Almost all of Makariv’s infrastructure has been destroyed, he said, adding that apartment complexes and other buildings were bombed and a hospital was destroyed.
“For more than a month we are without electricity, water, gas, without telephone lines. We do not even have essential items at home,” Tokar said.
He added that Makariv has been hit by a “medical disaster” in which all doctors have been evacuated.
He also warned that the people of the city need to be careful as the mines are scattered in the fields.
“Our deforested areas are littered with mines, and so we will work on purging these areas before starting a full restoration of our infrastructure,” he said.
The mayor said the city was getting help and citizens took to the streets and did everything possible to clear the debris.
Before the invasion, about 15,000 people lived in Makariv, but now less than 1,000 remain. Tokar said residents are slowly returning and the city is slowly recovering.
Tokar said that according to initial estimates, about 45 percent of Makariv has been destroyed.