A Russian paratrooper who was in Bucha during the atrocities was identified by a love letter with a lipstick kiss that he left behind

A handwritten love letter signed off with a red lipstick kiss was left behind by a Russian soldier while atrocities were committed.

After Russian forces left the areas around Kyiv last month, reporters from the news agency spent weeks in Bucha, Ukraine. The report includes new details about what happened in Bucha based on interviews with nearly 100 residents, documents left behind by Russian forces, and photo and video evidence.

The resident told the outlet that he found the letter after his house was destroyed. There was a pile of documents in his living room, some of which were Ukrainian identity documents.

You are close to my heart, but you are far away, protecting us. The letter said that I was proud of you.

The kiss was visible in a photo of the letter.

The letter was signed by Oksana and addressed to a Russian soldier.

The person who contacted the person who said Logvinenko was her partner was located in Russia. Two people who knew the couple confirmed their relationship to the outlet.

After the Russian retreat, there were reports of atrocities and potential war crimes, including the rape of civilians and the discovery of mass graves.

The outlet identified specific soldiers and military units that were in the area and linked some of the violence against civilians to them. Russia denied reports of atrocities in Bucha and claimed the accounts were fake.

A Russian soldier was identified by the outlet after spray-painting his social media handle on the walls of a house close to where the letter was found.