Russian troops 'burn 30 horses alive' in stable near Kyiv, Ukraine says

22 March 2022, 15:41

Warning: Contains imagery some may find offensive

Russian troops have been accused of burning as many as 30 horses alive after setting fire to a civilian stable in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and animal rights groups condemned the attack in Hostomel, a city just north of the capital Kyiv.

In a statement Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said: "Almost all horses were burnt alive in a stable in Hostomel, as Russian invaders burned it down. Only few of them escaped."

According to local paper The Kyiv Independent, a total of 32 horses were inside at the time of the brutal attack and two made it out alive.

The owner of the stable 'Alexandra' told local media that she was order by Russian troops to leave her house at the beginning of the month, as they threatened to 'shoot all of the horses' if she did not comply.

But after a friend went to check on the horses on Monday, she discovered all bar a few horses had been slaughtered after the stables were burnt down by Russian soldiers.

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Having received the photographs of burned horse corpses, she then had to send them on to the former owners for identification.

Alexandra said many of the animals were owned by children 7-10 years old.

Adding: "Today, their families have even more reasons to hate the occupiers."

Early on Tuesday, Ukrainian troops pushed Russian forces out of Makariv, a suburb of Kyiv, Ukraine's defence ministry said, allowing Ukrainian forces to retake control of an important highway and stop Russian troops surrounding Kyiv from the north-west.

However, the Ukrainian defence ministry said Russian forces battling toward Kyiv were able to partially take Bucha, Hostomel and Irpin - north-western suburbs - some of which had been under attack since Russia's military invaded almost a month ago.

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In the embattled southern port of Mariupol, civilians making the dangerous escape have described fleeing through street-to-street gun battles and past unburied corpses as a steady Russian bombardment tried to pound the city into submission.

Ukraine's defence ministry said on Tuesday that their forces were still defending the city and had destroyed a Russian patrol boat and electronic warfare complex.

Russian president Vladimir Putin's forces are increasingly concentrating their air power and artillery on Ukraine's cities and the civilians living there, killing unknown and sending millions fleeing.

Mariupol officials said on March 15 that at least 2,300 people had died in the siege, with some buried in mass graves.

There has been no official estimate since then, but the number is feared to be far higher after six more days of bombardment including the shelling of art school and a theatre.

More than 1,300 people were believed to be sheltering in the theatre, and 400 were estimated to have been in the art school.

In a video address on Monday night, Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, hailed those who have fought back against Russia.

"There is no need to organise resistance," Zelensky said. "Resistance for Ukrainians is part of their soul."