Ukraine is accusing Russia of committing war crimes for killing civilians. Over the weekend, Ukraine regained full control of the Kyiv region after Russian troops retreated, leaving behind widespread devastation. A warning to our audience: Some images of what happened may be disturbing. In the town of Bucha, dozens of dead bodies were found in the streets — some with their hands and feet bound. Ukrainian officials say they also believe hundreds of more people have been buried in mass graves. This is Anatoly Fedoruk, the mayor of Bucha.
Mayor Anatoly Fedoruk: “Corpses of executed people still line the Yabluska street in Bucha. Their hands are tied behind their backs with white 'civilian' rags. They were shot in the back of their heads. So you can imagine what kind of lawlessness they perpetrated here.”
On Sunday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply shocked” by the images from Bucha and called for an independent investigation. Ukraine has asked the International Criminal Court to visit Bucha to gather possible evidence of war crimes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also called on Western leaders to impose tougher sanctions in response. Russia has denied killing civilians and claimed the footage and photographs from Bucha are a “staged performance” by Kyiv.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Russia launched missile strikes from the sea and air targeting an oil refinery and three fuel storage facilities in the southern port city of Odessa. In other developments, the United Nations says Russia’s invasion — which is now in its 40th day — has displaced over 10.5 million people in Ukraine with over 4.1 million fleeing the country. On Sunday, Pope Francis said he is willing to travel to Ukraine if it could help bring about peace.