Japan-Ukraine Relations
Foreign Minister IWAYA’s Visit to Bucha City
On November 16 (local time), Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, visited the city of Bucha on the outskirts of Kyiv shortly after his arrival in Ukraine, prior to his meeting with dignitaries. He offered flowers at the site of the mass burial behind the Church of St. Andrew in Bucha and heard about the atrocities of the Russian aggression from Mr. Osypenko (Deputy Head of Kyiv Regional State Administration) and Mr. Anatoliy Fedoruk (Mayor of Bucha).
Minister Iwaya also visited the bridge over Irpin River and heard about the scars of war and the state of recovery and reconstruction in the area.
The bridge is located in the city of Irpin near Kyiv. When the Russian aggression began, about 40,000 residents fled across the river after the Ukrainians dropped the bridge to stop Russian troops from marching into Kyiv. The site now shows the scars of war, with the remains of the original bridge and a new one built next to it.