The dean of a Ukrainian Seminary in Bucha was reportedly shot by Russian troops and left dead on the street.
According to the Christian Headlines, Kyiv Slavic Evangelical Seminary Dean Vitaliy Vinogradov was one of those killed by the Russian military who attacked Bucha. Around 200 bodies of citizens were unearthed in mass graves discovered in Bucha after Ukrainian soldiers reclaimed the territory from the Russians.
The Kyiv Slavic Evangelical Seminary shared the post of Natasha Kim who announced the demise of the dean. Kim referred to Vinogradov as a brother who is well-loved as a co-worker.
"Vitaliy Volodymyrovich Vinogradov our dear brother, Christian leader, employee and a wonderful person, was found dead in Bucha. There are no words to express all the heartache. We will all miss him dearly on this earth, but we are glad that his life goes on forever. Vitaliy Vinogradov our dear brother and coworker was found dead in Bucha. There are no words to express the sorrow of our hearts. He will be greatly missed!" Kim said.
All Together! Leader Ruslan Kukharchuk, who is a close friend of Vinogradov, similarly announced on Facebook on Wednesday the death of the dean. Kukharchuck provided an account of what happened from the time he last heard from Vinogradov, who also happened to be a member of the board of All Together! The pro-life organization has previously announced the disappearance of Vinogradov on March 11.
Kukharchuck explained that the Ukrainian army reclaimed the cities of Irpin, Bucha, and Gostomil, which were all near Kyiv. He said the month-long occupation of the said cities only showed "hundreds of tortured bodies in the open air along roads, in parks, and in hastily dug group burial."
According to Kukharchuck, Vinogradov's body was discovered on the first day of Bucha's liberation from the Russian troops, which was on April 1. Vinogradov's body was found in the middle of Yablonska Street in Bucha near the body of Oleg Grishchenko, who is the dean's "brother from the church." Both bodies were shot and left to die in the street.
Kukharchuck shared that the dean called him on March 4 to tell him that he was evacuating Bucha and intends to stay in All Together!'s office in Kyiv in the meantime. Vinogradov called two other members of their organization about his plan to flee Bucha. The dean revealed to the two organization representatives that he intends to walk his way to Kyiv or hitch whenever he finds a car on his way there.
"The intention was full of risk, since even then the Russian military was shooting those who tried to get out of the occupied city," Kukharchuck said.
The dean finally left his home on March 6 and since then they have not heard from him. The organization then searched for him and got reliable information that Vinogradov is not in his home anymore. The organization officially filed a report with Ukraine's National Police on the dean's disappearance.
"We thank God Almighty for all the years of our ministry together with Vitaliy. We express our deepest condolences to his family and relatives. Vitaliy is a man who was loved. Who is loved now. And will always be remembered," Kukharchuck concluded.
Vinogradov is said to be an active member of All Together! since 2008. He became a key member of the organization's festival committees in 2010. He has been a member of the organization board for only five years. Kukharchuk described him as a talented analyst and journalist, brilliant organizer, and respected teacher and theologian.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venedyktova described Bucha and the towns in the Kyiv region reclaimed from Russian troops as hell and a crime scene of war crimes. Venedyktova announced that 410 bodies of civilians killed by the Russian military have so far been discovered in the said region. She said they will continue their documentation though it may take some time. She explained that most of the witnesses are still in shock from all the violence witnessed in the five weeks the Russians occupied the territory.
The discovery has prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to call it a genocide and described the war crimes worst than World War II's. Zelenskyy reported to the United Nations Security Council on Monday the war crimes committed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military. Zelenskyy said their enemy did it "purposefully" and "for pleasure"--killing "entire families, adults, and children." To prove his point, the president showed videos of disfigured and burned dead Ukrainians.
Various reports have also surfaced on the war crimes of Russia, such as those from Human Rights Watch, Maxar Technologies, and NBC News. NBC News presented interviews conducted in Bucha where residents testified to the carnage done by the Russian military. A woman told the media outlet's Richard Engel that Russian soldiers went door to door hunting down Ukrainian men. The woman recounted Russians shooting anyone who talked back and machine-gunned a lot of civilians.
