The Russian ambassador to the United Nations calls the massacre in Bucha a “staged provocation” and denies any involvement by Russia. The US and Ukraine react immediately.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebensia has described the atrocities against residents of the Ukrainian city of Bucha as a “staged provocation”. This is a “disgusting provocation by the regime in Kyiv,” said Nebensia on Monday at a press conference in New York. The Russian military has not done what it is accused of, it has not committed atrocities against civilians in Ukraine. “It’s not the case, it wasn’t the case and it never will be the case,” he said.
Russia has evidence for all of this, which it will present to the UN Security Council as soon as possible, said Nebensia. Russia had already requested a special session of the UN Security Council for Monday. However, the current British presidency of the Council left it at the scheduled meeting on Tuesday, which Nebensja sharply criticized.
Pictures show dead bodies on the streets
After the withdrawal of Russian troops from the north-west of the Ukrainian capital, shots of corpses on the streets of Bucha caused international horror. Ukraine blames Russian troops for the atrocities. They had occupied the small town until recently. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply shocked” and called for an independent investigation.
Ukraine wants to show the G7 countries the situation on the ground
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba invited all colleagues who doubted the effectiveness of new sanctions against Russia to visit Bucha, a suburb of Kiev. According to previous investigations, Russian troops killed many civilians there. The invitation applies primarily to some unnamed members of the G7 group, Kuleba said on Monday after a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in Warsaw. “I know that there are some members of the G7 who still doubt the point of further sanctions against Russia,” Kuleba was quoted as saying by the Unian agency.
“Therefore, I invite these colleagues to visit Bucha before their ministerial meeting on Thursday to dispel any doubts,” said Kuleba. In addition to foreign ministers, other members of their respective governments are also welcome. “Half-measures are no longer enough,” said Kuleba, reaffirming his call for the “strictest sanctions” against Moscow. The G7 includes Germany, Great Britain, Canada, the USA as well as Japan, Italy and France.
US blames Russian troops for atrocities
According to the US Department of Defense, Russian forces are responsible for the atrocities in the Ukrainian city of Bucha. “I think it’s quite obvious — not just to us, but to the world — that Russian forces are responsible for the atrocities in Bucha,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday. The US could not say exactly which units were deployed there, but there is no doubt that the atrocities took place and were an act of Russian forces, Kirby said.
Prosecutors investigate war crimes cases
According to its own statements, the Ukrainian public prosecutor’s office has already registered more than 7,000 reports of Russian war crimes in the region around Kyiv. Most of the victims were in Borodyanka, Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said on Monday evening, according to the Unian agency. “I think we will talk about Borodyanka separately,” she said.
According to the information, the Attorney General’s Office is already working on the investigation of war crimes in Irpin, Bucha and Worsel. The pictures from the Kiev suburb of Butscha, where numerous bodies of residents were found on the streets after the withdrawal of Russian troops, caused international horror at the weekend. Ukraine blames Russian troops, who until recently occupied the city, for the massacre. Moscow denies that.
