New video has emerged that adds to mounting evidence of atrocities carried out while Russia’s military occupied the suburban town of Bucha, northwest of Kyiv.
The video shows a cyclist moving along a street in Bucha, dismounting and walking a bicycle around the corner onto a street occupied by Russian soldiers. As soon as the cyclist rounds the turn, a Russian armoured vehicle fires several high-calibre rounds along the thoroughfare. A second armoured vehicle fires two rounds in the direction of the cyclist. A plume of dust and smoke rises from the scene.
The video is aerial footage recorded by Ukraine’s military in early March when Russian forces still held the town. It has been independently verified by The New York Times.
Weeks later, after Russia withdrew from Bucha, a body in civilian clothes was filmed beside a bicycle in this precise location in a second video verified by The Times. The body, with one leg mangled, lies behind a concrete utility pillar that has collapsed from an apparent strike. The damage to the pillar is consistent with high-calibre ammunition. The person’s clothing — a dark blue top and lighter pants — matches the cyclist’s attire.
In the footage, the Russian armoured vehicles visible on the street appear to be BMD-4 infantry fighting vehicles, which are commonly mounted with a 100-mm gun and 30-mm cannon, according to a Times analysis of the video.