Dead bodies of Pavlenko family were found in their cellar in temporary occupied Arkhengelske village, Vysokopillya territorial community of Beryslav district in Kherson oblast. Man and wife were killed on August 23. Valentyn Pavlenko was shot in his head. Under his body, the body of his wife was found.
The Center for Journalist Investigations was informed about this tragedy by residents of Arkhangelske. Last time people saw them around 8 p.m. August 23. In an hour neighbors heard some noise in their yard.
“We did not hear any shots. We do not know what happened there. Larysa and Valentyn never left their household during curfew hours. When we did not see them next day, we started worrying. We entered their house and did not find them. When we looked into their cellar, we discovered Valentyn’s body. We did not see Larysa. But when we took his body, we saw that he embraced the body of Larysa. Maybe, he tried to protect her when they were shot. He was shot in his head”, as witnesses told.
People suggest killers used guns with mufflers. As local residents say, Pavlenko were small farmers. Russian military broke into their house three times. They were proposed to evacuate to the territory controlled by Ukraine but they refused as they did not want to abandon their household. They told neighbors they could hide from shelling in their cellar.
“Their cellar is really good. They spent nights there. It rescued them from shelling but it did not – from Russian murderers”, as village residents noted.
As CJI reported, Russian soldiers shot Svitlana and Serhii Lanevych in Vysokopillya on June 1. They were shot in front of old mother…
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