On March 31, 2022, the world saw the most tragic page in the history of the struggle for the Kyiv region – exactly one year ago, our troops liberated Bucha from the enemy who came to seize power in Ukraine. To mark the anniversary of the de-occupation, a symbolic “Candle of Remembrance and Peace” will be lit today in Bucha.

The President of Ukraine V. Zelenskyy in his video message recalled the terrible events of those days when, in March 2022, the city simultaneously became a symbol of the war crimes of the occupying country’s army and a symbol of the future victory. The heads of the governments of Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia arrived in Ukraine to participate in the summit dedicated to the release of Bucha. On the anniversary of the release of Bucha, Irpen, and Gostomel, “Ukrposhta” issued a stamp “Bucha, Irpin, Gostomel: We will not forget, we will not forgive”, as well as postcards and envelopes of the series.

❗️The first russian armored personnel carriers appeared on the western outskirts of Bucha at noon on March 3. And the very next day, the russian military began to go from house to house and hunt for people who were included in the lists prepared in advance by their special services. Those who did not pass the “filtration” were tortured and executed by the occupiers. After the release on March 31, the Ukrainian military, as well as journalists from foreign publications, documented the consequences of 33 days of russian occupation. In total, more than 9,000 russian war crimes were documented on the territory of the Bucha’s community: more than 1,400 civilians were killed, 37 children were among the dead. In March 2022, 10 Ukrainian cities, including Bucha, Irpin, Gostomel, were awarded the honorary title of “Hero City of Ukraine”.

What is the historical significance of the events in Buch, Irpin and Gostomel for Ukraine?

Firstly, the facts of murder, torture and abuse of the civilian population, which Bucha faced every day during the occupation, shocked the Western world, and the city itself became a symbol of the crimes of the russians.

Information about large-scale mass atrocities by the russian army became the evidence base for the future special tribunal to prosecute those involved in the crimes (the russian authorities still reject all accusations and call them fake). On the anniversary of the liberation of Bucha and Irpin from the russian occupiers, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić emphasized the need to bring to justice those guilty of crimes in Ukraine as the basis for achieving sustainable peace. And recently, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for putin.

Secondly, the events in Bucha became a clear reflection of the powerful Ukrainian resistance and unwillingness to live under the “russian world”. An investigation by the Associated Press proved that the killings of civilians were not the random brutality of individual soldiers, but a deliberate strategy aimed at making civil resistance impossible. The crimes of the russian federation during the occupation changed Ukrainians forever and united them in the struggle for freedom, their native home and their loved ones.

Thirdly, from the first days of the russian invasion, Bucha, Gostomel, Irpin, Vorzel and Borodyanka became the epicenter of hostilities in the northwest of the Ukrainian capital and bore the brunt of russia’s unsuccessful “blitzkrieg” designed to quickly capture Kyiv. Thus, several routes of russians, who tried in vain to break through to the Ukrainian capital, converged in Bucha, and the fierce battle on February 25, 2022 for control over Bucha became a kind of “Donetsk Airport-2022”. Then the Ukrainian defenders destroyed a column of russian armored vehicles on Vokzalna Street, which was trying to break through Irpin and on to Kyiv. Thus, they destroyed the plans of the “three-day war” of the russian staff and did not allow the Ukrainian capital to be encircled from the western side. It was the liberation of Bucha that started the further de-occupation of the entire region and a great victory in the spring of last year. And the restoration of the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine over the city on March 31 finally eliminated the myth of the “second army of the world” in the minds of Ukrainians and became the trigger for the movement of resistance to the occupiers at all levels – from the military to ordinary citizens. In addition, the events in Bucha brought the international community out of a certain restrained attitude towards russian aggression and led to an increase in economic and military aid.

Currently, 80% of local residents have returned to Bucha – that’s more than 40,000 people. Since the first days of de-occupation, the reconstruction of the city has been ongoing, because more than 3,000 residential buildings and critical infrastructure were destroyed or damaged by the russians. Recently, an emergency recovery project was launched in Bucha with the support of the UN and the Japanese government.

❗️The events in Bucha in March 2022 became a symbol of the stability and indomitability of Ukrainians in resisting the aggressor. And they also proved to the whole world that despite the mass killings and destruction committed by the russian military, Ukraine will eventually win.