The discovery of dozens of bodies on the streets and in mass graves in Bucha, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, after the withdrawal of Russian troops, provoked reactions from leaders around the world and increased pressure on Russia.
“Shocked by the disturbing images of atrocities committed by the Russian army in the liberated Kiev region,” said European Council President Charles Michel. “The European Union is helping Ukraine and NGOs to gather the necessary evidence for action in international courts,” he said, adding that more sanctions against Russia are to come.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement that the “appalling acts” committed by the Russian army should be investigated as war crimes.
Russia has been withdrawing troops from the Kiev region, and Ukraine said on Saturday that it has regained control of all areas around the capital and that it has full command of the region for the first time since the Russian invasion on Feb. .
But the retaking of Bucha, after more weeks of Russian control, opened up a devastating scenario, with bodies of men and women scattered around the city, some with their hands tied and many carrying white cloth, a signal to warn that they were civilians and were unarmed.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba called for more sanctions and called the episode a “deliberate massacre”. The president’s adviser, Mijailo Podoliak, described the situation as “the hell of the 21st century.” “Bodies of men and women who died with their hands tied. The worst crimes of Nazism are back in Europe,” he said.
Among the dead found near Kiev was Maks Levin, a Ukrainian photographer and cameraman who had been missing for three weeks.
The Ukrainian government also claims that Russia has been spreading landmines in cities from which it is withdrawing troops. Ukraine’s emergency service said more than 1,500 explosives were found in one day during a search in the village of Dmitrivka, west of the capital.
Human Rights Watch released a statement saying it found “several cases of Russian military forces committing violations of the laws of war” in Russian-controlled regions such as the outskirts of the capital, as well as Chernihiv and Kharkiv.
“The cases we have documented represent unspeakable and deliberate cruelty and violence against Ukrainian civilians,” said Hugh Williamson, the organization’s director for Europe and Central Asia. “Rape, murder and other violent acts against persons in the custody of Russian forces must be investigated as war crimes,” he said. The report further accuses Russian soldiers of looting civilian property, including food, clothing and firewood.
The Kremlin has not responded to the allegations, but several times since the beginning of the war it has denied attacking civilians and rejects allegations of war crimes.
On Sunday, Russian missiles hit targets near the important port of Odessa, in southern Ukraine, on the shores of the Black Sea. The regional administration said that the city’s infrastructure facilities were hit. No casualties were reported.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for the attack and said the missiles destroyed an oil refinery and three fuel storage sheds that the Russians said would be used to supply Ukrainian troops near the town of Mikolaiv, which has been targeted in recent days. .
Odessa is the main base for Ukraine’s navy, and it is important to Russia for two reasons: first, because of the attempt to close off Ukraine’s access to the sea; second, to establish a land corridor to Transnistria, a breakaway province in Moldova where the majority of the Russian language is spoken and which is home to Russian troops.
“Smoke is visible in some areas of the city. All relevant systems and structures are working. No casualties have been reported,” said Vladislav Nazarov, an official with Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command.
Dmitro Lunin, governor of central Poltava, said another attack on Saturday had destroyed the Kremenchug oil refinery, 350 kilometers northeast of Odessa.
Also in the Black Sea, an attack hit Mikolaiv on Sunday, Ukraine’s interior ministry said.
Also on the southern coast of the country, efforts to evacuate civilians are expected to continue in Mariupol and nearby Berdiansk, with a Red Cross bus convoy. The agency abandoned previous attempts, claiming it was not safe to move forward. Mariupol is now Russia’s top target in the Donbas region of southeastern Ukraine, and tens of thousands of civilians are trapped in the city with little access to food and water.
On Saturday, Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said progress had been made in trying to organize a meeting between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the Russians ruled out that possibility for now, Russia’s chief negotiator said. , Vladimir Medinski, this Sunday.
Medinski said that while Ukraine was showing more openness in agreeing to maintain neutral status, not joining a military bloc and refusing to host military bases, there had been no progress on other key Russian demands.
“I repeat: Russia’s position on Crimea and Donbass remains unchanged,” he said on Telegram, adding that videoconference negotiation rounds will continue on Monday.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine.
