KEY POINTS

  • Russian troops looted the houses of "ordinary people" as they withdrew from areas in Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities said
  • A bazaar that sells looted items such as jewelry and works of art, among others, has been set up in Belarus
  • Soldiers reportedly sent looted goods back home to Russia via CDEK, a Russian express delivery company

Russian forces looted civilians as they withdrew from areas in Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities said, with the stolen goods reportedly ending up either being sold or sent back to soldiers' homes.

"As Russian troops retreat from the Kyiv region after having sustained immense losses, they are looting houses of ordinary people," Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson for Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement.

Retreating Russian troops looted hundreds of cars' worth of items from the suburbs of Ukraine's capital Kyiv in the last few days, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) claimed.

Pillaging is considered a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

"This is not an army. This is a disgrace. We will never forget and we will never forgive," Nikolenko said.

Items looted from Ukraine are sent back home to Russia via CDEK, a Russian express delivery company, according to the MoD's Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR).

Purported footage of Russian soldiers sending looted items home by mail was shared by Illinois Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger.

"War crime upon war crime," said the representative for Illinois' 16th congressional district.

Russian forces have set up a bazaar in Naroulia, Belarus, that sells goods looted from Ukraine, the GUR alleged.

The items being sold in the bazaar included refrigerators, jewelry, cars, bicycles, motorcycles, dishes, carpets, works of art, children's toys and cosmetics, the agency said.

Additionally, Russian forces allegedly tried to exchange stolen currency such as dollars and euros, but Belarusians were reluctant to exchange the money due to internal currency restrictions.

Russia has organized a centralized supply line of looted goods, according to the GUR.

A convoy of trucks containing various property such as industrial goods and household items is moving from the Ukrainian town of Buryn toward the Russian border, while Russian military trucks were being unloaded in Mozyr, Belarus, the intelligence agency claimed.

Russian forces retreated from Kyiv following Russia's promise to scale back its military operations in the area.

The move was intended "to increase mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations" between Ukraine and Russia, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said.

American officials warned that Russia might be shifting its strategy to focus on trying to take control of eastern Ukrainian regions such as Donbas by the time the country celebrates its biggest holiday, Victory Day, on May 9, CNN reported.

Russia's hasty retreat from its occupation of the region around Kyiv is revealing fresh devastation by the day
Russia's hasty retreat from its occupation of the region around Kyiv is revealing fresh devastation by the day AFP / RONALDO SCHEMIDT