The shocking photos of a city recovered by Ukraine after weeks of Russian occupation

The bodies of two Russian soldiers lie abandoned in the forest. Ukrainian forces piled on top of a tank show signs of victory. Stunned people line up in the middle of charred buildings to seek help. These are the sights of a Ukrainian city that has regained control of Russian forces, at least for now.

Arriving in Trostyanets shortly after Ukrainian forces announced that the northeastern city near the Russian border had been recovered after weeks of Russian occupation, The Associated Press saw on Monday a civilian landscape that has seen the worst of the war.

The hospital was damaged, its windows jagged with broken glass. The train station had been shot. Residents walked carefully, distrustful of the mines. They rode their bicycles past craters along the way and beyond the ruins of the houses. It is not yet clear how many civilians have died.

Russian tanks lay burned, twisted, abandoned like soldiers in the forest. One of the soldiers had a red band around his leg. The other had one arm over his head as if he were taking a nap on the leaves in the afternoon light. A Ukrainian soldier elbowed him with his toe.

A red “Z” marked a Russian truck, with a broken windshield, near boxes of stacked ammunition. Hundreds of boxes, including some with artillery shells, were stacked all over the city. Curious residents peered into an open box of shells.

It is not clear where the Russian forces went, under what circumstances they fled, or whether the city will remain free of them in the coming days. President Volodymir Zelensky in his evening speech emphasized that the situation remains tense in northeastern Ukraine around Kharkov, the nearest big city, and other areas.

But the return of the presence of Ukrainian forces in Trostyanets is a relief for a country that expects some Russian forces, under fierce resistance, to be withdrawing.

A senior US defense official. The US said Washington believes that Ukrainians have resumed Trostyanets. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss US intelligence assessments. Army, said that Russian forces remained largely in defensive positions near the capital, Kiev, and that they were making little progress in other parts of the country.

At the end of last week, with its forces stalled in parts of the country, Russia appeared to reduce its war objectives, saying that its main objective was to gain control of the Donbas in the east.

In Trostyanets, after weeks of occupation and intense fighting, some residents seemed to have lost all sense of normality.

“Personally, I haven't seen much,” said one resident, Vitali Butski. And yet, three missiles hit his house. Many buildings beyond the train station are damaged, he said.

Sheltered against the icy wind, he and others ventured to see what was left behind.

The unexploded ammunition covered the square in front of the train station. Trenches and berms lined the square in a sign that Russian forces were trying to defend their position. In a bunker below the station, with thick walls and doors, the rooms were lined with uniforms and army boots.

On the walls were patriotic messages that included drawings signed by children in Russian that read “Thank you for peace, soldier.” Another room had been used as a clinic, with unused droppers ready and desks converted into beds, although there was no trace of blood.

Packages of Russian food rations were seen in the rubble. But residents indicated that the soldiers were still hungry.

“In the evenings they came to us, to our houses and our basements, and stole our pickles, potatoes, butter and cucumbers,” said a resident who did not give her name.

He called the Russians “orcs” or goblin-like creatures. Militias from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions were also there, he said. The whole city had been occupied.

Now, for the residents, there is some room to breathe. In line for help, they greeted the passing Ukrainian tanks.

“As you can see, there were battles here over the past month. Projectiles were flying and people said they were scared,” said Evgeni Kosin of the emergency services. “They ran out of food or water. There was a horrible humanitarian situation. Now that there are no flyovers or bombings in the last three days, maybe it's getting better.”

(Por ANDREA ROSA y FELIPE DANA, Associated Press)

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