kyiv ukrainian authorities found a mass grave of more than 440 bodies in the northeastern town of izium that was recaptured from russian forces days ago a regional police official said adding some of the people had been killed by shelling and air strikesthousands of russian troops fled izium last weekend after occupying the city and using it as a logistics hub in the kharkiv region they left behind large amounts of ammunition and equipmenti can say it is one of the largest burial sites in a big town in liberated areas 440 bodies were buried in one place serhiy bolvinov the chief police investigator for kharkiv region told sky news some died because of artillery fire some died because of air strikesreuters could not immediately verify the ukrainian claim and there was no immediate public comment from russia on the allegationpresident volodymyr zelenskyy who had paid a surprise visit to izium on wednesday to greet ukrainian troops put the blame on russia and likened the discovery to what happened in bucha on the outskirts of the capital kyiv in the early stages of the late february invasion by russian forcesukraine and its western allies have accused russian forces of perpetrating war crimes there tens of thousands of civilians were likely killed in a separate russian assault on the southern port of mariupol ukrainian officials said in aprilrussia is leaving death behind it everywhere and must be held responsible zelenskyy said in a video address late on thursdayrussia has denied targeting civilians or committing war crimesfortifyingafter a week of rapid ukrainian gains in the northeast ukrainian officials said russian forces were fortifying defences and it would be hard to maintain the pace of the advancerussian president vladimir putin has yet to comment publicly on the setback suffered by his forces this month ukrainian officials say 9000 sq km 3400 sq miles has been retaken territory about the size of the island of cyprusfootage shot by reuters on thursday in the eastern town of kupiansk which ukrainian forces recaptured last week showed many buildings had been damaged or burned outno electricity no communications if there were communications we could least talk to family if only there hadnt been all this bombing with everyone in their basements said one manthe speed of the advance has lifted hopes of further gains before the winter sets inbut serhiy gaidai governor of ukraines eastern luhansk region said it would still be a tough fight to wrest control of his region back from russia which recognises it as an independent state controlled by separatiststhere was no letup either in russias daily missile strikes on thursday a day after it fired cruise missiles at a reservoir dam near kryvyi rih zelenskyys hometown in central ukraineauthorities in kryvyi rih are working to repair the damage and as a result water levels are receding said kyrylo tymoshenko deputy head of the presidential administrationukrainian forces repelled three russian attacks north of the city of donetsk the armed forces