Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine

🇺🇦 Bucha (Буча) is a city in Ukraine's Kyiv Oblast. Administratively, it is incorporated as a city of oblast significance.

History The settlement arose with construction of the Kyiv – Kovel railway in 1898 around a small train halt by Bucha River. Bucha was one of the train stops of Kyiv–Kovel railway similar to one in the modern city of Irpin. In close vicinity from the Bucha train stop there existed a small village Yablunka where there used to be a brick factory. Yablunka is mentioned in the 19th century Polish Geographic dictionary as a village of Jabłonka 37 versts away from Kyiv.

During World War II, before the liberation of Kiev from Nazi forces in December 1943, Bucha was the location of the headquarters of the 1st Ukrainian Front commanded by General Vatutin.

Bucha was granted city status on February 9, 2006 (previously, Bucha was an urban-type settlement within the Irpin city municipality). Until 18 July 2020, Bucha was incorporated as a city of oblast significance. In July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Kyiv Oblast to seven, the city of Bucha was merged into Bucha Raion.

History: 2022 Russian invasion and massacre During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, heavy fighting took place in Bucha as part of the Kyiv offensive, resulting in severe Russian losses. The city was captured by Russian forces on 12 March. Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk announced the recapture of Bucha by Ukrainian forces on 31 March 2022.

A few days after the recapture, on 2 April 2022, news reports and videos emerged showing streets in Bucha covered with the bodies of men dressed in civilian clothes. Some of those found had their hands tied. Among those killed were women and children. According to first estimations at least 280 bodies were found. There was also evidence that Russian soldiers had systemically tortured, mutilated and executed many Ukrainians in the basement of a summer camp. The event caused the Ukrainian government to call on the ICC to investigate whether or not Russia had committed war crimes. On April 7, the mayor of Bucha, Anatoliy Fedoruk, reported that almost 90% of the dead residents had bullet wounds, not shrapnel wounds.

Geography Bucha is located in Kyiv Oblast, 25 km west of Kyiv. It borders the cities of Irpin and Hostomel and the villages of Vorzel, Mykhailivka-Rubezhivka, and Blystavytsia.

Places and people There is a stadium in Bucha named Yuvileiny Stadium, where some matches were held in October 2016 for the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification.

There is a glass factory in Bucha. Built in 1946, it was closed in 2016. There is a small train stop called "Sklozavodska".

The town's main landmark is a 19th-century railway station located at the south edge of the city. Through the city runs a major highway M 07.

Author Mikhail Bulgakov stayed in Bucha with his family during the summer season in his cottage.