Police say 269 bodies recovered in Ukraine's war-torn Irpin

A view of at least three rows of new graves for people killed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at a cemetery in Irpin, Kyiv region, Ukraine April 18, 2022. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

(Reuters) - Ukrainian investigators have examined 269 dead bodies in Irpin, near Kyiv, since the town was taken back from Russian forces in late March, a police official said on Monday, as workers dug fresh graves on its outskirts.

The town, which had a pre-war population of about 62,000, was one of the main hotspots of fighting with Russian troops before they pulled back from Ukraine's northern regions to intensify their offensive in the east.