Three murdered civilians have been found near Konotop, following the Russian pullback from Sumy region, said Governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyi in a post on social media, Tuesday.

As Ukrainian forces are reclaiming the cities north of Ukraine’s capital, they are documenting new evidence of war crimes in the places that suffered occupation by Russian troops.

The governor warned people against going into wooded areas and asked that they be alert on the roadways, as there may still be stray Russian soldiers in the area.

‘The Russian army doesn’t collect the dead bodies of their troops; they leave some who are still alive.’

Local officials found the bodies of three tortured locals near Konotop, but the death toll could be much higher, added Zhyvytskyi.