Body Of Ukrainian 'Tortured' By Russians Found In Kyiv Oblast; Hands Tied, Head Covered

Ukrainian authorities said they discovered the body of a man who was tortured by Russian forces in Ukraine's Kyiv.

Foresters from the village of Zdvyzhivka contacted authorities after they detected "a characteristic corpse smell" while carrying out landscaping work in the forest Wednesday, Kyiv police said in a statement.

An unidentified civilian, aged between 40 and 50 years old, was found in a trench with a rope tied around his hands, according to police.

He was discovered in a position that was previously occupied by the Russian army, Andriy Nebytov, head of the Kyiv region police, was cited as saying in another statement.

The man had injuries on his neck and body, the police chief noted.

"They tied his hands, put a cover over his head and executed him," Nebytov said.

The man was wearing high boots and had a Seiko watch, according to the police chief.

"If you recognize any of these things and have information about the deceased, please inform the police," he said.

A forensic medical examination of the man's body is underway to determine his final cause of death.

Kyiv police have already identified and examined more than 16 civilians who were killed by Russian occupiers in Zdvyzhivka, Nebytov said.

"As of today, 1,365 bodies of civilians killed at the hands of the Russian military have been found in the Kyiv region, and 207 people are considered missing," he said.

In a similar story, a civilian who was allegedly killed by Russian forces was found near a strip of forest near the village of Nove Zalissya close to former Russian positions, Kyiv police said back in July.

A rope was tied around the man's hands and neck, according to Nebytov, who said that "everything indicates that the man was strangled before his death."

Prior to the discovery in Nove Zalissya, the body of a murdered migrant from Ukraine's Russian-occupied Donetsk region was found in a nearby forest in the area, according to Vadym Chernyshuk, the deputy chief of the police department in the Ukrainian town of Borodyanka.

At least 5,663 civilians, including 365 children, have been killed in Ukraine since Russia began its invasion in late February, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in its most recent casualty report.

The ongoing conflict has also left 8,055 injured, according to the agency's report.

Russia has repeatedly been accused of targeting civilians in the war, but it has dismissed all allegations.

Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, intentionally directing attacks against civilians during armed conflicts is considered a war crime.

Killing, torturing, or taking hostage of non-combatants in war also violates the Geneva Conventions.