REPORTING
In Boutcha, a population bruised by two years of war in Ukraine
On the second anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion, commemorations were held across Ukraine.
This is the case in the small town of Boutcha, near kyiv, where Russian forces are accused of having committed war crimes against civilians.
The city is gradually being rebuilt, life is returning, but the population remains deeply damaged.
Listen - 01:27
In Boutcha, relatives of Andrii Katanenko at his funeral on February 24.
The man was killed near Avdiïvka.
AFP - ROMAN PILIPEY
By: RFI Follow
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With our special correspondents in Boutcha,
Anastasia Becchio
and
Boris Vicith
A minute of silence in front of panels, where the names of more than 600 civilians killed during the Russian occupation of Boutcha are engraved.
Olena, 65, came with red carnations in memory of her husband, who was executed at point blank range by Russian soldiers while he went to get cigarettes.
His death was recorded by CCTV cameras.
“
I have a lot of loved ones who were killed: people from my work, a former school friend, a lot of people, around fifteen people I knew well and who died.
The only thing I want now is for their deaths not to be in vain
,” she says.
Recently, prosecutors investigating war crimes gave her several photos of her husband shot by armed men, which she keeps in her phone.
With misty eyes, Lioudmila Bogdan arrives from the cemetery where she goes every day to the grave of her husband Vladimir, killed by the Russians a stone's throw from her house.
“
You know, I don’t forgive what they did, I can’t forgive.
My husband was alive, he had a family and they came and shot him point blank, for nothing.
The pain is so bad...
and anger too.
But what I want is victory.
I speak to my husband and say to him: as long as we win.
At home, I keep champagne cool.
We will drink it when we have victory
,” she said.
From the crypt of the adjoining church, soldiers carry a coffin towards a white van which will reach the military cemetery where Andrii, 39, killed near Avdiïvka, will be
buried
.
Also read: Two years of war in Ukraine: Western officials flock to kyiv
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