(Kyiv) At least 200 residents of Irpin, a town in the northwestern suburbs of Kyiv the scene of fierce fighting, have been killed since the start of the Russian invasion, its mayor Oleksandre Markouchine announced on Wednesday.

“At the height of the hostilities, when there was shelling all day, people were simply buried in the gardens or even in the parks. I think that around 200 or 300 people unfortunately died,” Mr. Markouchine announced during a press conference.

The Ukrainians claimed on Monday to have regained control of this locality, in the hands of the Russians since the end of February.

“Half the city is destroyed,” Mr. Markouchine lamented, adding that “many people are still under the rubble, that’s for sure. […] We are still looking in the basements”.

He estimated at “about 3,500” the number of people still present in this locality, which before the war had 60,000 inhabitants.

“At least 50 soldiers were killed and around 100 injured,” he also said.

Irpin is “entirely under the control of Ukrainian forces”, but the situation there “remains dangerous”, continued Mr. Markouchine, because it is “the target of bombardments from surrounding towns, including Boutcha”.

The mayor finally called on the inhabitants of Irpin who have fled in recent days “not to return to the city” for the moment. “Give us time! “, he asked, dropping in a serious tone: “In the coming month, you will not be able to return home”.

Irpin was pounded by the Russian army in the very first days of the war started by Moscow on February 24 and is considered the last lock before Kyiv arriving from the west.

In mid-March, an American journalist was shot and wounded there. The city has since been closed to the press.