Bucha

Claims of war crimes in the Ukraine city mount up as residents tell of a month of fear.

Lots of them were laying on the sidewalks, there were a lot of them squashed by tanks. And later they felt sorry for me, pulled me out of there back to the peaceful world, patted me on my head and told me: ‘Good, you survived.’” I felt like I was in the movie [The] Matrix. Like someone dragged me by my hair and threw me into this Matrix for 16 days and have been watching how I act. There was an exodus – but the Russians said they would permit only women and children to leave. So we ran to the city hall for the green corridor. When he got shot I was outside, I heard the gunshots. On the fifth day, the gas supply to the town was cut off. “There was some grandpa, he was walking with his wife, they were about to cross the street, they were stopped by some Russians. You know how these old men are, just like to talk back and stuff. It was just a campfire with two bricks on the side.” All the time she was there she was hugging the icon.” Those few who decided to leave on that first day were seen as overreacting by the majority of those in Schevchenko’s block. “Everybody was looking [for] some ways out of there on the internet, Telegram or Viber chats.

Europe pledges further sanctions against Russia amid reports of 'haunting images of atrocities'

The evidence of atrocities emerged against a backdrop of faltering peace talks. If Ukrainians can capitalise on that they can potentially roll back the Russians.” He also urged G7 countries to impose “devastating” sanctions immediately. The country’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said the images from Bucha were “unbearable”. Russia’s actions in Bucha were consistent with more than a century of military practice, said Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. “Anyone saying that Bucha is the result of brutalisation or rogue behaviour is wrong. This was the plan.

In Bucha, the bodies of nearly 300 civilians were found in mass graves after Russian troops withdrew, local officials said.

"Kyiv region. I demand new devastating G7 sanctions NOW," Kuleba wrote on Twitter. "Bucha massacre was deliberate.

There is growing international condemnation of alleged war crimes and civilian killings reportedly committed by Russian forces in Ukrainian towns before ...

My sympathy for the victims, my solidarity with the Ukrainians. The Russian authorities will have to answer for these crimes." Nearby, Mriya - one of the biggest planes ever built - lies under a hangar, destroyed by Russian attacks There is talk of women, children and the elderly among the victims." They would shoot without asking any questions." France's President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: "The images coming from Bucha, a liberated city near Kyiv, are unbearable. The Russian defence ministry has denied its troops carried out mass murder there, said all photos and footage published by Ukraine "allegedly testifying to the 'crimes' of Russian servicemen" in Bucha were a "provocation", and added all its military units left the town on 30 March.

Michael Brodsky says he's shocked by photos from Kyiv suburb that appear to show dozens of civilians massacred by Russian troops; UK says it's collecting ...

“They are leaving behind a complete disaster and many dangers…. “These are the consequences of Russian occupation.” The UK is working with others to collect evidence and support International Criminal Court war crimes investigation. That’s what we are preparing with our EU partners.” Those responsible will be held to account,” Truss tweeted. Germany also condemned the killings of civilians in Bucha as a “terrible war crime” and called for fresh EU sanctions against Russia.

"Shocked by news of atrocities committed by Russian forces. EU assists Ukraine in documenting war crimes," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter ...

The mayor of Bucha, a liberated town 37 km (23 miles) northwest of the capital, said 300 residents had been killed by the Russian army. Ukraine said on Saturday its forces had retaken all areas around Kyiv, claiming complete control of the capital region for the first time since Russia launched its invasion on Feb 24. EU assists Ukraine in documenting war crimes," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter, adding all cases needed to be pursued by the International Court of Justice.

Analysis: Russian president appears to have operated by a strict playbook in northern Ukraine that has served him well for decades.

The names of Bucha, Mariupol and Kharkiv, may well become a rallying cry for Zelenskiy to that goal. The other fly in Putin’s ointment then, is that perhaps the west may this time stay true to its claims of solidarity with Kyiv and escalate its sanctions regime. During the 2016 battle of Aleppo, Russia seized back rebel-held areas of the city for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad through a month-long aerial bombing campaign, killing men, women and children. When Russian paratroopers dropped into Hostomel airport, on the outskirts of Bucha, they had initially disappeared from view, according to locals. The Russians had reappeared after a few days, residents said, with fatal consequences. Putin’s attack on the Chechen capital, Grozny, in 1999, was as unsuccessful as the attempt to decapitate Ukraine’s leadership in Kyiv within a few days of his 24 February invasion.

"The images from Bucha are unbearable, Putin's uninhibited violence is extinguishing innocent families and knows no boundaries."

He declined to confirm reports that the United States is facilitating the transfers of Soviet-era tanks to Ukrainian forces from Eastern European allies. Victims were seen by Reuters in a mass grave and still lying on the streets. This is the reality of what's going on every single day as long as Russia's brutality against Ukraine continues." "There needs to be accountability," he said. Germany's Foreign Minister said on Sunday Russia must pay for its "war crimes" in the Ukrainian town of Bucha just outside the capital in the form of more severe sanctions, denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin's "uninhibited violence". Germany's Foreign Minister said on Sunday Russia must pay for its "war crimes" in the Ukrainian town of Bucha just outside the capital in the form of more severe sanctions, denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin's "uninhibited violence".

Reports of fleeing civilians shot by snipers and the rape and murder of young girls.

And later they felt sorry for me, pulled me out of there back to the peaceful world, patted me on my head and told me: ‘Good, you survived.’” Lots of them were laying on the sidewalks, there were a lot of them squashed by tanks. I felt like I was in the movie [The] Matrix. Like someone dragged me by my hair and threw me into this Matrix for 16 days and have been watching how I act. There was an exodus - but the Russians said they would permit only women and children to leave. So we ran to the city hall for the green corridor. When he got shot I was outside, I heard the gunshots. On the fifth day, the gas supply to the town was cut off. “There was some grandpa, he was walking with his wife, they were about to cross the street, they were stopped by some Russians. You know how these old men are, just like to talk back and stuff. It was just a campfire with two bricks on the side.” All the time she was there she was hugging the icon.” Those few who decided to leave on that first day were seen as overreacting by the majority of those in Schevchenko’s block. “Everybody was looking [FOR]some ways out of there on the internet, Telegram or Viber chats.

Russian forces have been accused of committing atrocities in the town of Bucha, northwest of the Ukrainian capital. Bodies of civilians were seen lying in ...

The mayor of a Ukrainian city on the northern outskirts of Kyiv on Sunday showed journalists dead bodies in an area that, he said, Chechen fighters ...

Russia has pulled back forces that had threatened Kyiv from the north to regroup for battles in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers are pictured on their tanks as they drive along the street, amid Russia's invasion on Ukraine, in Bucha, in Kyiv region, Ukraine April 2, 2022. Ukrainian soldiers are pictured on their tanks as they drive along the street, amid Russia's invasion on Ukraine, in Bucha, in Kyiv region, Ukraine April 2, 2022.

Moscow maintains residents didn't 'suffer any violent actions' and that everyone 'had opportunity to freely leave'; Ukrainian prosecutors say 410 corpses ...

Photo and video of corpses strewn across the streets of Bucha were “another production of the Kyiv regime for the Western media,” it added. The ministry said all residents “had the opportunity to freely leave the settlement in the northern direction,” while the southern suburbs of the city “were fired at around the clock by Ukrainian troops.” Russia’s defense ministry said Sunday that its forces did not kill civilians in Bucha, a town outside Ukraine’s capital Kyiv that was recently retaken by Ukrainian soldiers from Moscow’s troops.

April 3, 2022, has seen reports of egregious crimes being perpetrated in Irpin and Bucha, Ukraine. Among others, media outlets reported on images of ...

While steps are being taken to ensure some justice and accountability in the future, more news of egregious crimes come to light on a daily basis. However, the plethora of legal steps taken by the Ukrainian government in response to Putin’s war shows that justice and accountability are important for Ukraine even now as Ukraine fights for survival. Russia failed to follow the order and continues the attack on Ukraine. Putin’s atrocities in Ukraine are subject to several domestic and international inquiries. This is genocide of the Ukrainian population.” The video featured bodies lying on the street. Among others, Sky News has verified two videos showing bodies on the streets of Bucha.

European leaders vowed to support efforts to prosecute possible war crimes, as Human Rights Watch said it had documented criminal abuses by Russian soldiers, ...

Russia denied targeting local civilians and a diplomat described footage of the dead people in Bucha as a “hoax”. In a statement, the Russian defence ministry said the incident was a “provocation” and a “staged performance” by the Kyiv government. European leaders vowed to support efforts to prosecute possible war crimes, as Human Rights Watch said it had documented criminal abuses by Russian soldiers, including repeated rape and summary executions. Ukraine accused Russian forces of a massacre of civilians on the outskirts of Kyiv after discovering bodies left strewn across streets in the wake of a pullback by Kremlin troops.

Accusations of war crimes and calls for tougher sanctions feature on Monday's front pages amid horror at civilian killings by Russian troops.

The FT reports on the prospect of a full oil and fuel embargo, with European Council president Charles Michel saying further sanctions were on their way in the wake of the Bucha massacre. The FT and the Telegraph focus on the issue of sanctions. Hundreds of civilians have been found in mass graves, it reports, and some had been tied up.

World leaders condemn alleged atrocities and call for independent investigations after bodies of civilians and mass graves found.

Describing Ukraine’s past pursuit of Nato membership: “They thought that by refusing Ukraine, they would be able to appease Russia, to convince it to respect Ukraine and live normally next to us ... I invite Mrs Merkel and Mr Sarkozy to visit Bucha and see what the policy of concessions to Russia has led to in 14 years. To see with their own eyes the tortured Ukrainian men and women.” Russia described the situation in Bucha as a “provocation” by Ukraine intended to disrupt peace talks. ... They killed deliberately and with pleasure,” he said in a national address late on Sunday. He vowed to investigate and prosecute all Russian “crimes” in Ukraine. Zelenskiy also criticised the west’s “policy of concessions to Russia” in the lead up to the war. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, described the killings as “a punch to the gut” and joined western allies in vowing to document the atrocities to hold the perpetrators to account.

Ukraine accuses Russia of committing a 'massacre' as bodies, mass graves found in destroyed town left by retreating Russian forces.

Some of the bodies were either unburied or partially buried. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the sight of multiple civilian bodies in Bucha was a “punch to the gut”. “This is not a war, it is a genocide, a genocide of the Ukrainian population.” “We found mass graves. The mass grave is behind a church in the town’s center. AFP on Saturday saw the bodies of at least 22 people in civilian clothes on a single street in Bucha.

Ukraine's foreign minister, Dymtro Kuleba, said Russia was “worse than Isis”. Witnesses of alleged atrocities in Bucha told the Guardian that Russian soldiers, ...

Russia denied responsibility for the killing of civilians. The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, said the killings added to evidence of Russian war crimes, while the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, expressed shock about the “terrible and horrifying” footage from Bucha. “Streets littered with bodies. There is talk of women, children and the elderly among the victims,” Mr Scholz said. Rape is a war crime.” “All these people were shot,” Bucha’s mayor, Anatoly Fedoruk, told AFP, adding that a further 280 bodies had been buried in mass graves in the town. Mr Shevchenko’s mother, Yevdokia (77), said she had witnessed an elderly man who had challenged a Russian soldier being shot dead as his wife stood next to him.

Ukraine president says worse atrocities may yet be found elsewhere as satellite images show mass grave near church in Bucha.

Speaking on Times Radio on Sunday, he said Bucha was a “deliberate massacre”. Describing Russia as “worse than Isis”, he said Russian forces were guilty of murder, torture, rape and looting. Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia warned on Monday against inferring much from the withdrawal of Russian forces around Kyiv. “They are now regrouping. The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, said the “despicable” killings added to evidence of Russian war crimes, while the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, expressed shock about the “terrible and horrifying” footage from Bucha. “Streets littered with bodies. We are now collecting the evidence from the witnesses,” Myroshnychenko said of the recent discoveries in town such as Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel. “Multiple rapes of women, children killed. There is talk of women, children and the elderly among the victims,” Scholz said. Ukrainian officials said the bodies of 410 civilians have been found in Kyiv-area towns that were recently retaken from Russian forces.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday called for an independent investigation into the killing of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, ...

Conflict began on 24 February, when Russia invaded the country. Posting on Twitter on Friday, Mr. Guterres said the UN “is doing everything in its power to support people whose lives have been overturned by the war in Ukraine.” "Ukrainians are enduring a living hell for more than a month, thousands of civilians have died," she wrote.

Global outrage is mounting over the discovery of dozens of bodies, some with their hands bound, in towns near the Ukrainian capital after invading Russian ...

In fact, the Defenders of Ukraine need three things above all: weapons, weapons and more weapons. Pictures from #Bucha disprove the belief that we have to seek a compromise at any cost. Shocked by news of atrocities committed by Russian forces. Criminals must be called criminals, brought to justice and sentenced. In a Twitter post, Lapid said one “cannot remain indifferent in the face of the horrific images from the city of Bucha”. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he strongly condemned the reported attacks on civilians in Ukrainian towns on the outskirts of Kyiv “as violation to international law”. Johnson called the attacks in the towns of Irpin and Bucha “despicable” and said he “will do everything in my power to starve Putin’s war machine”. All cases must be pursued, namely by @CIJ_ICJ. This is the reality of what’s going on every single day as long as Russia’s brutality against Ukraine continues.” The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said he was shocked by the news of “atrocities committed by Russian forces” and said the bloc will assist Ukraine in documenting war crimes. We can’t normalise this. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the images coming out of Bucha were “a punch to the gut” and promised to help Ukraine document “war crimes” being committed by the Russian troops.

Russia has denied committing war crimes in the Kyiv region after images of civilian corpses sparked condemnation.

They hit him a bit above the heel, crushing the bone, and he fell down,” Herega told Al Jazeera. “The shooter shouted: ‘Don’t scream or I will shoot!’ and they turned away. “He went to get some wood when all of a sudden they [Russians] started shooting. It was a controlled shot to the head,” she added. Russia has denied committing war crimes in the Kyiv region after images of civilian corpses sparked international condemnation. Russia has denied committing war crimes in the Kyiv region after images of civilian corpses sparked international condemnation.

The world is shocked by the horrors that have been uncovered in Bucha after Russian forces pulled out a few days ago. Even though Russian troops have ...

Next to them are the charred bodies of at least six Russian soldiers. Bullet casing and shells litter the floor. One of the fiercest was for control of a nearby airport, Hostomel. It was a key Russian target on day one of the invasion. And then they started running around the building like cockroaches." I said that if you have to shoot, shoot me first. The bridge, collapsed in the middle, has a line of twisted metal on one end - the remains of the Russian vehicles.

Horror at killings of civilians in Kyiv's surrounds … fines over Downing Street party on eve of Prince Philip's funeral … and the return of Marine Le Pen.

The i emphasises those killed were civilians: “Massacre of the innocents”. It notes Boris Johnson’s call to “starve Putin’s war machine”. The Financial Times reports on the prospect of a full oil and fuel embargo – in the wake of Bucha, EU diplomats are expected to discuss further measures on Wednesday. The Telegraph says the UK and its allies will not rest until Vladimir Putin is held responsible. Antonio Conte declared his Tottenham team to be “now in the race” for Champions League qualification after they swept Newcastle away with a devastating second-half performance in a 5-1 win. Revulsion at the atrocities committed by Russian forces in the Ukrainian town of Bucha dominates today’s front pages. “Drinks is on Silk Sonic tonight!” Jon Batiste closed the evening with, fittingly, a celebration of music for album of the year. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, described Bucha as “a punch to the gut”. Russia for its part tried to paint the situation as somehow representing a “provocation” by Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly claimed, without proof, that Ukraine has staged such atrocities for its own benefit. Doja Cat exclaimed “I have never taken such a fast piss in my whole life!” after apparently rushing from the bathroom to the stage to accept best pop duo performance with SZA, for Kiss Me More. Silk Sonic, aka Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, grooved on to the stage for both record and song of the year. Laura Murray, Labour’s ex-head of complaints, and Georgie Robertson, who worked in the party’s press office, said they refused to sign non-disclosure agreements after their complaints. Labour NDA outcry – A dozen senior Labour women have called on the party to end its use of confidentiality agreements to “cover up” sexual harassment allegations. … I want all the leaders of the Russian Federation to see how their orders are being fulfilled … This is how the Russian state will now be perceived.” Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dymtro Kuleba, said Russia was “worse than Isis”. Zelenskiy has vowed to investigate and prosecute all Russian crimes in Ukraine, saying he had created a “special mechanism” to do so. Grammys 2022 – Olivia Rodrigo and R&B duo Silk Sonic have dominated the major categories while Jon Batiste won album of the year at the 64th annual Grammys, where there was a video message from Volodymyr Zelenskiy and an emotional tribute to victims of the Russian invasion. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said he was “deeply shocked” while Boris Johnson said the killings added to evidence of Russian war crimes. Be warned that the following video is grim and graphic in parts.

Witnesses of alleged atrocities in Bucha said Russian soldiers, who have now withdrawn from the area, had fired on men fleeing the town, and had killed ...

Rape is a war crime.” Mr Shevchenko’s mother, Yevdokia (77) said she had witnessed an elderly man who had challenged a Russian soldier being shot dead as his wife stood next to him. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, described the killings at Bucha as “a punch to the gut” and joined western allies in vowing to document the atrocities to hold the perpetrators to account. “This information must be seriously questioned,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. On different continents. At different times.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney says scenes from the Ukrainian suburb of Bucha could be repeated elsewhere as Russian forces withdraw.

"That will be up to the International Criminal Court and the team there - as well as other entities". "But if you're asking me for my opinion as to whether I think there was more war crimes committed here from what I've heard, the answer to that question is yes, and from what I've seen in terms of photographs the answer to that question is yes. "There will be conversations taking place today and tomorrow and later on this week in terms of a fifth sanctions package. "But what's even more horrific I think is that this is potentially what we may be able to expect from some of the other towns that are effectively regained by Ukrainian forces." "And I think, not for the first time, we are seeing what are likely to be determined as war crimes as part of this war. "They've already invited in a team from the ICC Prosecutor - that's the International Criminal Court - to actually document and put a case together in relation to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Global outrage has spread over civilian deaths in Ukraine, including evidence of bound bodies shot at close range and a mass grave found in areas retaken ...

Speaking in Dublin this morning, Mr Martin said: "I would rule nothing out in terms of how we respond, but I think Europe is repulsed by this. "I am horrified by the images of civilians lying dead on the streets and in improvised graves in the town of Bucha in Ukraine," she said in a statement. "The murder of innocent civilians is a violation of international humanitarian law and is unacceptable and I strongly condemn these acts." Mr Peskov said that Russian "experts at the ministry of defence have identified signs of video fakes and various fakes". "Again we will consult with EU colleagues in respect of what has emerged in terms of the slaughter of innocents and civilians, which I condemn in the strongest possible terms." Taoiseach Micheál Martin has condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the killing of civilians in Ukraine, saying "nothing can be ruled out" in terms of a response to it.

Ukraine on Sunday accused the Russian army of having committed a "massacre" in Bucha, a town northwest of Kyiv recently retaken by Ukrainian troops, ...

Some of the bodies were either unburied or partially buried. "We found mass graves. U. S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the sight of multiple civilian bodies in Bucha was a "punch to the gut." "This is not a war, it is a genocide, a genocide of the Ukrainian population." The mass grave is behind a church in the town's center. The corpses of 57 people were found in a mass grave, the chief of local rescue efforts Serhiy Kaplychniy, said as he showed AFP the trench where the bodies lay. AFP on Saturday saw the bodies of at least 22 people in civilian clothes on a single street in Bucha. Ukraine on Sunday accused the Russian army of having committed a "massacre" in Bucha, a town northwest of Kyiv recently retaken by Ukrainian troops, where the bodies of civilians were found in the streets. According to the mayor of Bucha, Anatoliy Fedoruk, the victims were killed by Russian forces with a "bullet in the back of the neck." One of them was on the pavement near a bicycle, others had bags of provisions near them. Bucha was occupied by the Russian army on the third day of the war, on Feb. 26, and remained inaccessible for more than a month. Communal workers carry a body of a civilian man in town of Bucha, not far from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on April 3, 2022.

The E.U. has worked with the United States and other allies to hit Russia with sanctions packages and other penalties, but it continues to buy Russian oil ...

As calls mounted for Germany to cut itself off from Russian energy supplies, Monday also brought a stark reminder of the competing pressure on the government. Macron said more forceful sanctions are necessary to prevent similar devastation in other parts of Ukraine. “We are going to coordinate with our European partners, in particular with Germany,” he said. Europe imports about 40 percent of its gas and more than a quarter of its oil from Russia; the United States and Britain import far less.

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian forces had committed atrocities in Bucha, a city about 25km north west of Kyiv, and other areas that ...

Rape is a war crime.” Mr Shevchenko’s mother, Yevdokia (77) said she had witnessed an elderly man who had challenged a Russian soldier being shot dead as his wife stood next to him. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, described the killings at Bucha as “a punch to the gut” and joined western allies in vowing to document the atrocities to hold the perpetrators to account. “This information must be seriously questioned,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. On different continents. At different times.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former heavyweight champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko have described civilian deaths in Bucha as "genocide of the Ukrainian ...

and say 'yes we did do that, but you do the same', pointing to some kind of moral equivalence in the West. but it may be easier at the bottom level". working in their own little friendship groups". Even the bodies of the dead are booby-trapped. The ICC lists examples such as "intentionally directing attacks... "Russian troops famously have a low level of non-commissioned officers - who are there to keep the troops in order and are in charge of their behaviour. "Concentrated evil has visited our land. Their journalists say they have seen 21 bodies, with at least one group of nine all in civilian clothes. there are schools, nurseries and parks." "The deliberate targeting of civilians is a war crime, in and of itself, every day of the week," he said. The town centre is lined with shops… Bodies on the streets.

Survivor of alleged Russian atrocities recounts his ordeal as analysts say development marks wake-up call for West.

Others were found in mass graves, barely covered with soil and garbage. To many in the West, the Bucha killings became a wake-up call, the first chance to see the scope of mass killings of civilians that amount to war crimes – or even genocide. Several bodies were found inside apartments and houses with gaping holes made by shells and explosions. The ministry claimed on Sunday that all Bucha residents “had the opportunity to freely leave”, and claimed that the southern suburbs “were fired at around the clock by Ukrainian troops”. I saw it all, they are still lying there, not everyone was collected,” Matsenko said. His story confirms the scope of the mass killings of civilians that became evident – and visible – only after Ukrainian forces and journalists entered Bucha on March 31.

Russian invaders are now treating the entirety of the Ukrainian population as combatants, as dirt to be cleansed.

Or they should invoke the toll of Bucha: bodies, wrapped in black bags, piled like firewood into the back of a van collecting the corpses from the streets. But the murders at Bucha are merely one entry in a litany of atrocities. The Russian invaders are now treating the entirety of the population as combatants, as dirt to be cleansed. Low-ranking soldiers were required to make the decision to kill, again and again, despite the screams, becoming inured to the routine of murder. Along with several dozen other Ukrainians, she found herself hustled into a small square, next to the office of a storage-rental firm. And while the invaders struggled to realize their overarching plan, they gained a toehold in Bucha.

The apparent discovery comes as Ukraine's forces recapture towns from Russian troops across the country, which became involved in a full-scale war on Feb. 24 ...

“We are the citizens of Ukraine and we don’t want to be subdued. Investigators could issue an arrest warrant if prosecutors can show “reasonable grounds to believe” war crimes were committed. The Associated Press also saw two bodies wrapped in plastic, bound with tape and thrown into a ditch. “If it keeps happening again and again and the strategy appears to be to target civilians in urban areas, then that can be very powerful evidence of an intent to do so,” Alex Whiting, a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, told Reuters. “We strongly condemn the murder of civilians in Ukraine, remain committed to holding the Russian regime accountable, and will continue to do everything we can to support the people of Ukraine,” he tweeted. For most charges, that requires proving intent, and one way prosecutors could do it is to show there were no military targets in the area of an attack, and that it was not an accident. On Monday, the Kremlin categorically denied any accusations related to the murder of civilians in Bucha, and said Ukrainian allegations on the matter should be treated with doubt. Even before Bucha, Ukraine and its Western allies accused Russian forces of targeting civilians indiscriminately, referencing the bombing in the southern port of Mariupol of a maternity hospital and a theatre marked as housing children. It had a population of roughly 35,000 before the war began, and is a neighbour to the towns of Irpin and Hostomel. Shapravskyi said Moscow’s troops withdrew late last week from Bucha. Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said scores of killed civilians found on the streets of Bucha, and the Kyiv suburbs of Irpin and Hostomel, looked like a “scene from a horror movie.” Over the weekend, news outlets began to report the deaths of civilians in the streets of Bucha as Ukrainian forces reentered the town. Reporters with Reuters and The Associated Press saw the bodies of people in civilian clothes who appeared to have been killed at close range.

President Joe Biden on Monday called the atrocities allegedly committed by Russian forces in Bucha, Ukraine, a "war crime" and called for a trial to take ...

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called the deaths of civilians in Bucha a "brutality" and said "I strongly welcome" an investigation by International Criminal Court, which has opened an investigation into war crimes in Ukraine.The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed the extensive footage of dead civilians in Bucha was "fake" and that "not a single local resident suffered from any violent actions" during Russia's occupation of the town. Biden's assessment that the killings did not amount to a genocide puts him at odds with that of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who used the term during an interview with CBS on Sunday."This guy (Putin) is brutal and what's happening in Bucha is outrageous and everyone's seen it," Biden said.Images released this weekend show civilian bodies strewn across a street following the withdrawal of Russian forces, and CNN reporters observed a mass grave in the town, with residents saying they believe at least 150 people are buried there.The scenes out of the Kyiv suburb of Bucha have drawn international outrage, with Western leaders calling for war crimes investigations and fresh sanctions against Russia.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the State Department would help document any attacks by Russian troops against Ukrainian civilians. President Joe Biden on Monday called the atrocities allegedly committed by Russian forces in Bucha, Ukraine, a "war crime" and called for a trial to take place against Russian President Vladimir Putin.The US President did not, however, label the killings a "genocide" but said he was looking into additional sanctions against Russia.Biden said the images coming from Bucha warranted calling Putin a "war criminal," adding, "but we have to gather the information.