The things they left behind: Russia's abandoned camp near Kyiv

Invisible from the main road, a huge camp built by Russian soldiers in northern Ukraine lies abandoned under the thick cover of pine trees.

AFP journalists saw empty ration packs strewn around the temporary structures of the forest base -- covering an area the size of about two football pitches.

Unlike some areas northwest of Kyiv where violence has pockmarked the region, there was no trace of destruction left by air bombardments or artillery.

According to "Ferrari", a Ukrainian National Guard official in the area using a pseudonym, the Russian camp of about 1,000 soldiers was spared.

"The Ukrainian army mainly hits places where there are ammunition stores. In this place there were only personnel," he told AFP as he scanned the forest floor.

"It is not fair from the point of view of the Ukrainian army to bomb if there are only personnel."

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The only signs of violence are a white van and a red Lada -- both riddled with bullet holes -- abandoned on the road just at the edge of the wood.

Traces of blood are smeared on the car's doors and seats.

The large Russian camp is close to the village of Buda-Babynetska, about 40 kilometres (24 miles) from the Ukrainian capital and close to Bucha, a commuter town now synonymous with the devastation left after Russian soldiers retreated.

Bucha's streets were littered with corpses dressed in civilian clothing, a mass grave of 280 bodies was found, and authorities say there is evidence of torture of unarmed men in a basement at the hands of Russian troops.

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Ukraine and Western leaders have erupted in outrage over the deaths -- with US President Joe Biden urging a "war crimes trial" over the alleged atrocities -- while the Kremlin has categorically rejected all accusations.

In the forest near Buda-Babynetska, Ukrainian soldiers encounter an eerie scene where Russian troops camped for weeks.

The shelters -- more than 100, based on a count by AFP reporters -- are of various sizes, sturdily built with pine tree trunks sawn into logs to be used for roofs and walls.

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The simplest structures, probably occupied by lookouts, accommodated at least two men, while the largest could hold a dozen people and were likely used by troop commanders.

Hundreds of empty wooden boxes used to hold Grad missiles are all over the camp -- their planks about two metres long, practical for building shelters from the wind and rain.

They were also used to build toilets, recognisable by their triangular-shaped roofs with a blanket acting as a curtain for privacy.

Russian troops withdrew from the Kyiv region in the final days of March, around about the same time as the occupants of this forest camp also left.

Bohdan, who lives just two miles away, said he saw the Russian soldiers patrolling.

"We would look for them and when we saw them walking, we would leave without them seeing us," the 15-year-old told AFP.

"Every five days or so, we would come, we would get closer to see if they were still there... The last time we came here was the day before yesterday (Sunday), and they weren't there anymore," he said.

Scattered around the pine tree structures, the Russians left empty ration boxes, plastic bottles, broken gas masks and various items of clothing -- gloves, sweaters, belts.

Khaki- and black-coloured Russian fur hats that shield the wearer's ears from wind chill were left in some shelters. The front flaps of these chapkas bore a star-shaped insignia.

Beef and rice appeared to be daily meals for the troops, based on remnants left on individual trays.

In a corner of the camp, a single military vehicle with an anti-aircraft gun could be seen, its wheels punctured.

A copy of the Russian constitution had also been tossed on the ground, its blue-and-red cover smeared with dirt, while the psychological thriller by Austrian author Andreas Gruber was flung near a shelter, its rain-soaked pages flipping in the wind.

The book's subtitle reads: "The more a criminal tries to cover his tracks, the more clues he leaves."

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