A cruel message board in an occupied village

Graffiti left by Russian soldiers on the walls of a bar in the village of Velyka Komyshuvakha, Ukraine. The dehumanising messages on the walls were a stark reminder that the Kremlin wants to stamp out Ukraine and its culture. — ©2023 The New York Times Company

SWEEPING out discarded Russian rations, shattered glass and broken furniture was a daunting task. In the 4.5 months that Russian forces had occupied a village in eastern Ukraine, the troops had used the local bar as a small outpost, gutting it in the process.

The physical destruction of the watering hole of Velyka Komyshuvakha was only part of what the Russians left behind.