大象传媒

It's too early to tell whether the advances of the Ukrainian army in the last few days could be a turning point in the war, but the map of who controls what certainly seems to be changing. According to US military analysts, Moscow has largely given up land around Kharkiv in the north east and pulled troops back over the border.

Some local journalists have been to the villages that Ukraine has re-taken. Maria Avdeeva went to Grakove and has been met with harrowing stories and scenes:

"Before the invasion started there were 750 living in the village, when we came there not more than 50... a man from the village was told by Russian occupational forces to dig a grave and put two dead bodies into the grave and he saw these bodies had signs of torture, their ears were cut and they were shot in the head."

(Photo: Ukrainian service members ride a BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine in Kharkiv region, Ukraine September 13, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)