In the village of Staryi Bykiv, stories emerge of killings, looting, and devastation during the Russian occupation.
The village of Staryi Bykiv, once a quiet and peaceful place, now stands as a witness to the brutal horrors that unfolded during the Russian occupation in the early days of the war. When Russian forces first arrived on February 27, 2022, they killed six men. Over the next month, the situation deteriorated further, with at least three more killings, widespread looting, and the destruction of homes and community buildings.
During a two-day visit to the village, The Guardian heard accounts from residents about the chaos and terror that gripped the area. The Russian forces set up a base in the village, bringing in tanks, artillery, and surface-to-air missile systems. As their advance stalled, they turned the village into a site of pillaging and violence.
In Novyi and Staryi Bykiv, two small parts of the same village located about 50 miles east of Kyiv, the Russian army’s presence was felt everywhere. The villages, home to approximately 2,000 people, had once been quiet farming communities where life moved slowly. Now, the streets were littered with the remnants of war — charred buildings, abandoned military vehicles, and the shattered remains of homes.
Residents shared chilling stories of soldiers who appeared confused, unsure of whether they were meant to “liberate” the people of Ukraine or destroy them. The soldiers reportedly looted dozens of homes, taking food, valuables, and anything else of use. The school was reduced to rubble, and much of the village was left in ruins.
The children, still processing the trauma, stared at the remains of Russian armored vehicles in the village parking lot, one of which still bore the uniform of a Russian soldier.
Despite the horrors they endured, the villagers now face the difficult task of rebuilding their lives after a month of terror. While the images from Bucha have captured global attention, it is in small, harder-to-reach towns like Staryi Bykiv where the true extent of the suffering and destruction caused by the Russian invasion is coming to light.
