100 days of war: 400 corpses and a tank crush a car in Bucha; to remember

The war between Russia and Ukraine today wraps up 100 days with the deaths of thousands of civilians and the displacement of millions of Ukrainians. Vladimir Putin’s government invaded Ukraine on February 24, under the pretext of demilitarizing and gentrifying the neighboring country.

Some episodes marked conflict. On February 25, footage of a tank driving over a civilian’s car in motion on the outskirts of Kiev began to circulate in the international media.

Experts could not come to a conclusion as to whether the tank is of Russian origin. The man driving the car was rescued by other civilians and survived.

Also in the capital Kyiv region, Ukrainian authorities found at least 420 civilian bodies in the city of Bucha in April. World leaders have denied violence, but Russia refuses to execute civilians.

The Putin government insists that the scenes were “created” by Ukraine to impress the world. The bodies were discovered after Ukraine regained control of the city. Some of the dead had their hands tied.

In Irpin, just 20 kilometers from Kiev, the images show a devastated city. The site was to be used by Russian forces to reach the capital of Ukraine, but it became an example of Ukrainian resistance.

The Russians controlled 20-30% of the city. One of the Ukrainian Army’s strategies was to destroy the city’s infrastructure, such as bridges, to delay the advance of the enemy.

One of the most notable events in Irpin was the death of a family trying to escape the bombings in the city. Tatiana, 43, and her children, Alise, 9, and Nikita, 18, and two of the family’s dogs were hit by mortar shells.

In addition to the Russian offensive on Kiev, eastern Ukraine also suffered from bombings and attacks. The city of Mariupol was besieged on the first day of the war and was considered a priority by the Russian command for both strategic and propaganda reasons.

According to the mayor of Mariupol, Vadim Boychenko, Russian soldiers killed more than 10,000 villagers. The estimate was made in April. Unable to flee the city, civilians faced shortages of food, water and electricity.

For months, humanitarian corridors were agreed between Russians and Ukrainians for the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol. The Azovstal steelworks was considered the last point of resistance in Mariupol and was under constant attack by Russian forces.

There were civilians as well as soldiers. A video posted on social media on May 15 shows the moment when a “rain” of ammunition fell on the site.

A British expert told Reuters news agency that the footage showed an attack with matches or incendiary weapons. The white phosphorus bomb is an incendiary weapon that, according to an international convention, can only be used against military targets.

When used, the bomb leaves a white trail in the sky and can cause “severe burns and bone erosion” in humans. Six days later, an agreement between Russia and Ukraine allowed the last Ukrainian army to withdraw from the Azovstal complex.