Death, Weapons, And Soviet-Style Propaganda Uncovered In Abandoned Russian Position

A Ukrainian territorial defense deminer gathers decaying ammunition from a former Russian position near Hrakove village, in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine on October 13. 

A makeshift wash basin in the abandoned position. Russian troops pulled out of Hrakove in early September amid a massively successful Ukrainian counteroffensive. 

 

Ukrainian territorial defense members walk past the body of a local man reportedly killed by a Russian land mine. Hrakove village was home to around 1,000 people in February, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Only around 30 locals remained throughout the Russian occupation. 

Ukrainian servicemen salvage a camouflage net from the Russian position near Hrakove. Such netting is highly valued by both sides in the current conflict for its ability to obscure vehicles and entrenched soldiers from drones. 

A Ukrainian territorial defense member removes munitions from an automatic grenade launcher in the Hrakove position.

In September, locals told AP that there was no indication Russian troops were about to abandon the village, which is around 6 kilometers from the Russian border. "Nobody knew anything. They left very quietly,” said Vyacheslav Myronenko, 71, who survived in the basement of his bombed-out apartment building with three neighbors for more than four months. 

A pile of apparently unread Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspapers with a masthead featuring Vladimir Lenin and other Soviet emblems. The former Soviet newspaper is the official mouthpiece of Russia's Defense Ministry and it was first published in January 1924. 

A Ukrainian deminer opens an ammunition case at a foxhole in the abandoned Russian position. 

A Ukrainian territorial defense member checks for mines outside Hrakove village. 

Ukrainian servicemen place Russian weapons and munitions into a deep hole to be destroyed as part of the ongoing cleanup of the areas recaptured by Ukrainian forces in the Kharkiv region. 

The moment when Russian munitions from near Hrakove are detonated on October 13. 

Smoke rises after a controlled explosion of powerful anti-tank mines outside Hrakove village.