Retreating Russian soldiers leave little life in formerly bustling Kyiv suburb
ITV News Correspondent Dan Rivers reports from Irpin on the evening Ukraine announces the Russians have finally retreated
There's little life left in the formerly bustling, leafy suburb of Irpin, even though it appears to be back in Ukrainian hands.
Ukraine said on Saturday the entire administrative region around Kyiv has been liberated, and not a single Russian soldier remains. It's a watershed moment for the defenders who fought for five weeks to keep Kyiv from being taken, but in Irpin, scenes of devastation and death are plenty.
Delivery vans, used to collect the deceased, drive on streets soaked with blood.
83-year-old Igor Sles stayed in Irpin throughout the storm of artillery and gunfire. When asked why he didn't flee, he told ITV News being separated from his dog would have broken his heart.
Another resident, Bogdan Sosnovenko, spoke of being imprisoned in a cellar with around 60 other Ukrainians. He said they were stripped to their underwear and kept for five days. Some who were taken for questioning never returned, Mr Sosnovenko said.