Bucha, Ukraine

Bucha (Ukrainian: Буча, pronounced [ˈbutʃɐ] ) is a city in Ukraine's Kyiv Oblast. Administratively, it serves as the administrative center of Bucha Raion. It hosts the administration of Bucha urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Its population is approximately 37,321 (2022 estimate). Bucha Day is celebrated in the city between 11 and 13 September. The battle of Bucha was a major part of the northern front of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The battle lasted from 27 February to 31 March 2022, when Russian forces withdrew and mayor Anatolii Fedoruk reported that the city had been fully retaken. After Ukrainian forces regained control of Bucha, reports and testimonies of war crimes committed by the Russian military began to circulate. These war crimes have been collectively labeled the Bucha massacre.