A new investigation by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, supported by unseen dashcam and drone footage, sheds new light on the mass executions of civilians in Bucha during Russia's occupation in March 2022.
The footage shows Russian troops ambushing clearly marked civilian vehicles on Zavodska Street and opening fire without warning.
Survivor Mykola Bryednyev, who was shot in the head, described the chaos as bullets ripped through the car, killing several people. Hours later, drone video confirmed the presence of Russian armored vehicles, marked with their distinctive "V" symbol, stationed at the scene.
The troops involved are believed to be from the 234th Air Assault Regiment, known as the Pskov paratroopers. Surveillance footage captured near the site shows soldiers from this unit looting buildings and vandalizing property the day before the killings.
Investigators say this regiment controlled the area at the time of the massacre.
According to Ukrainian authorities, over 2,500 Russian soldiers who were present in Bucha have been identified. Of those, 100 are suspected of war crimes, and 34 have been officially notified of suspicion.
The National Police report that 72 murders have been solved, with 24 indictments already sent to court.
In total, 358 civilians were killed in Bucha, and more than 300 of those deaths have been directly linked to Russian forces.
Many of the victims were burned, which made identification difficult.
"The identification process is ongoing. A year ago, we had 60 unidentified bodies. Now this number is 13. The process is a little complicated because of the exact condition in which we found these bodies -- they were simply burned by the Russians. However, this process continues, the relevant forensic examinations are under way," said Dmytro Shevchuk, head of the war crimes unit for Ukraine's National Police.
The 33-day occupation of Bucha, from February 27 to March 31, 2022, left 561 civilians dead, including 12 children.
The discovery of mass killings after Ukrainian forces liberated the town sparked global outrage, derailed cease-fire talks, and further galvanized international support for Ukraine.
