Russian troops have killed 132 civilians in Makariv, the mayor of the town in the Kyiv region, said on Friday. The news comes as Ukrainian authorities continue to assess the damage around Kyiv after Russian forces have withdrawn largely from the north of the country. 

Mayor Vadym Tokar told Ukraine’s Parliament TV that local officials who collected the bodies said they’d been shot by Russian troops. He also added that almost all of the town’s infrastructure has been destroyed as a result of the invaders’ assault. 

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Tokar said, “More than a month now we are without electricity, water, gas, without telephone lines. We don’t even have essential goods at home”, CNN reported. 

With doctors having been evacuated, the mayor said Makariv is facing a medical emergency. He also warned the townspeople to be cautious since there are mines scattered in the fields. Tokar continued, “Our deforested areas are heavily littered with mines, and so we will work first on demining these areas before we can begin the full-fledged restoration of our infrastructure”. 

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However, citizens are doing their bit to clear the rubble and the town is getting some aid, as per the mayor. While there were 15,000 residents in Makariv before, only 1,000 remain, but people are gradually returning as the town shows signs of recovery. 

Tokar also gave estimates that nearly 45% of Makariv has already been destroyed by Russians. The news of Makariv comes hot on the heels of the massacre in Bucha, where mass graves of civilians have sparked global outrage.

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Some chilling visuals have also emerged, like the woman on the bike being shot in the street, where 20 bodies of civilians were later found. Russia already stands accused of war crimes in Ukraine since President Vladimir Putin sent in troops on February 24, and eventually switched tactics to targeting civilians.