Singaporean Ix Shen returns to Ukraine, joins volunteer group to provide humanitarian aid

SINGAPORE: Singaporean Ix Shen is again in Ukraine to assist in humanitarian efforts after he and his Ukrainian spouse left the war-torn nation for Poland final month.

In an Instagram video posted on Friday (Apr 8), the previous actor mentioned he’s in a “safe place” and won’t be revealing his actual location in Ukraine for “security reasons”. 

Mr Shen, who has been offering common updates to CNA as the state of affairs unfolds in Ukraine, mentioned has joined a bunch of volunteers who present humanitarian help from Poland.

“So we stocked up the supplies in the vehicles, we drive across the border and redistribute them in different centres,” mentioned Mr Shen, including that certainly one of these centres is within the Ukrainian city of Bucha.

The city was occupied by Russian forces within the early days of the invasion, AFP reported. There have been allegations that Russian forces dedicated struggle crimes by executing civilians in Bucha, with Ukraine accusing Russia of finishing up a “massacre”.

The Kremlin has denied the allegations.

“I believe by now you should have heard of this place,” mentioned Mr Shen, referring to Bucha. “This issue right now is being contested by different parties. Since I’m not an expert in putrefaction, I’m not qualified to comment.”

Mr Shen added that “truth always prevails because the same thing happened to us before”, pointing to the Sook Ching bloodbath, a Japanese navy operation throughout the occupation that was geared toward purging anti-Japanese components from the Chinese neighborhood in Singapore.

“Eighty years ago, also in the month of March, we had innocent civilians being slaughtered, and back then we didn’t have forensic science,” he mentioned.

“Our forefathers paid such (a) heavy price and gave us such precious lessons. How can we not unturn our backs towards injustice?” 

Ukrainian investigators on Friday started to exhume a mass grave in Bucha, opening the early phases of what police mentioned will likely be a struggle crimes case focusing on Russian troops who occupied the city. 

The grave – an extended deep trench within the mud behind a gold-domed church – was utilized by Ukrainians to bury neighbours they declare have been killed by the hands of Russian armed forces that arrived on Feb 26.