Grieving in Izium: Over 440 Individuals Found in Mass Graves
In July of 2025, ACHF President Lena Denman visited a mass grave site outside of Izium, Ukraine. Izium experienced intense shelling in the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion, and was eventually captured and occupied by Russian troops in April 2022. The city was liberated in September of the same year.
During its occupation, Russia killed many civilians and soldiers – proof of which was discovered in the mass grave sites found around the city. At the site that Lena visited, it is estimated that around 440 individuals were buried. The exact number is not known, even after extensive exhumation work done by the government. Additional mass graves have also been discovered and are being researched and exhumed.
Russia must be held accountable for its war crimes against Ukraine. The world must learn the truth about what Ukraine has endured for the last three and a half years – and the years leading up to the full-scale invasion.
We mourn the lives lost in Izium and all of Ukraine, and pray for peace to come soon. One death impacts us all, and we continue to stand and support our brothers and sisters in #Ukraine. Join us in prayer for the victims' families, the community of Izium and all of Ukraine.
