Ukraine: Zelenskyy Visits Bucha, Says World Will Recognise Russia's 'Genocide'
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As many as 3,400 civilians, including 121 children, have died in Ukraine since the Russian invasion, the United Nations said in a report published on Monday, 4 April.
(Photo: AP/PTI)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, 4 April, visited the town of Bucha, where hundreds of corpses were reportedly buried after Russian forces withdrew from the region, AFP reported. Zelenskyy said amid his visit that the world would recognise the killings in Bucha as a "genocide" committed by Russia.
Russia on Monday denied allegations related to the murder of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the facts and chronology of events in Bucha did not support Ukraine’s version of events, and urged global leaders to not rush to judgement, Al Jazeera reported.
As many as 3,400 civilians, including 121 children, have died in Ukraine since the Russian invasion, the United Nations said in a report published on Monday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared in a taped video at the Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday
A number of world leaders have condemned the Russian violence in Bucha
Seven people died and 34 were wounded after Russian forces struck a residential area in Kharkiv
Zelenskyy addressed Russian forces as “murderers”, “torturers,” and “rapists” after hundreds of bodies of Ukrainian civilians were found on the streets of towns surrounding Kyiv
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Prez Zelenskyy Appears at Grammy Awards, Makes Plea for Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared in a taped video at the Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday, 3 April, to make a plea for support for Ukraine as it continues its battle against Russia.
President Zelenskyy reportedly shot the video in a bunker in Kyiv.
"On our land, we are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs. The dead silence," Zelenskyy said.
“Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story. Tell the truth about the war on your social networks, on TV, support us in any way you can any, but not silence. And then peace will come to all our cities,” Zelenskyy went on to say.
4 Dead, 34 Injured in Latest Russian Attack on Kharkiv
Seven people died and 34 were wounded after Russian forces struck a residential area in Kharkiv on Sunday, local prosecutors said.
410 Bodies Found in Kyiv Region's Bucha, 14 m Mass Grave Detected
"410 bodies of dead civilians were evacuated out of the liberated territories of the Kyiv region. Forensic experts have already examined 140," prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova was quoted as saying by news agency AFP on Sunday.
Satellite images of the Ukrainian town of Bucha show an approximately 45-foot-long (14-metre) trench dug into the grounds of a church where a mass grave has been identified, a private US company has said. Ukraine has accused Russian forces of committing a “massacre” in Bucha, which is just 30 km northwest of the capital Kyiv.
Bodies of civilians were found littering Bucha's streets after Ukrainian troops reclaimed the town on the weekend, reported AFP.
"We are still gathering and looking for bodies, but the number has already gone into the hundreds," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, according to his ministry.
"Dead bodies lie on the streets. They killed civilians while staying there and when they were leaving these villages and towns," Kuleba said.
US Condemns Bucha Violence
A number of world leaders have condemned the Russian violence in Bucha that is reported to have left over 400 dead.
"We strongly condemn apparent atrocities by Kremlin forces in Bucha and across Ukraine. We are pursuing accountability using every tool available, documenting and sharing information to hold accountable those responsible," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a tweet.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said he was “deeply shocked” by images of dead civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, and called for an independent investigation that “leads to effective accountability.”
3,400 Civilians Have Died in Ukraine After the Russian Invasion: UN
The United Nations’ human rights office has said that there have been 3,455 civilian casualties since the war in Ukraine began on 24 February.
The figure includes more than 1,400 deaths and over 2,000 injuries but the actual number is believed to be considerably higher, the agency said in its recently published report.
'Another Staged Performance': Russia Denies Violence in Bucha
In Russia's first public comment on alleged massacre in Bucha, the defence ministry in Moscow described photos and videos from the ravaged Ukrainian town as "another staged performance by the Kyiv regime for the Western media."
"During the time that Russian armed forces were in control of this settlement, not a single local resident suffered from any violent actions," it said.
Explosions Heard in Kherson & Odesa
Explosions were heard in the early hours of Monday in the cities of Kherson and Odesa, in the south, while air raid sirens sounded across the country's east.
Russia Seeks UNSC Meeting on Bucha
Russia hopes to hold an an emergency UN security council meeting today after claiming the “provocation of Ukrainian radicals in Bucha” is behind the request for talks.
Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s UNSC deputy representative, tweeted on Sunday: "In the light of heinous provocation of Ukrainian radicals in Bucha Russia requested a meeting of UN Security Council on Monday April 4.”
'Russia Continuing To Consolidate & Reorganise Forces in Donbas': UK Intelligence Report
The UK Ministry of Defence has released its latest intelligence report, claiming Russian forces are continuing to “consolidate and reorganise” their offensive in the Donbas.
"Russian forces are continuing to consolidate and reorganise as they refocus their offensive into the Donbas region in the east of Ukraine. Russian troops, including mercenaries from the Russian state-linked Wagner private military company, are being moved into the area,” the intelligence report reads.
'No Doubt Who Ordered This Story': Russia Suggests US Involvement in Bucha Incidents
A Russian official insinuated on Sunday that the West had 'ordered' the narrative about violence in Bucha.
“Who are the masters of provocation? Of course the United States and NATO,” ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview on state television late on Sunday, Reuters reported.
“In this case, it seems to me that the fact that these statements (about Russia) were made in the first minutes after these materials appeared leaves no doubt as to who ‘ordered’ this story,” she added.
French Prez Macron Calls for New Sanctions in Response to Bucha
French President Emmanuel Macron has just called for new sanctions in response to the alleged Russian violence in Ukraine’s Bucha.
“What happened in Bucha demands a new round of sanctions and very clear measures,” Macron said, as per Reuters. The new sanctions should target coal and oil, said Macron.
Spanish PM Says Russia's Actions Amount to 'Possible' Genocide
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday that he had seen signs of a possible "genocide" in Ukraine after claims that the Russian military committed atrocities against Ukrainian civilians in Bucha.
“We will do everything to ensure that those who have perpetrated these war crimes do not go unpunished, and therefore appear before the courts… to deal with these alleged cases of (crimes against) humanity, war crimes and why not say it too, genocide," Sanchez said, as per a report by Al Jazeera.
Russia Denies Allegations of Killing Civilians in Bucha
Russia on Monday denied allegations related to the murder of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the facts and chronology of events in Bucha did not support Ukraine’s version of events, and urged global leaders to not rush to judgement, Al Jazeera reported.
Russian Troops Have Vacated Sumy: Governor
The governor of Ukraine’s Sumy said on Monday that Russian troops no longer occupied any settlements in the region, Reuters reported.
US to Ask UNGA for Russia's Removal from Human Rights Council
The US will ask the UN General Assembly to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Monday, as per a report by The Guardian.
"Russia’s participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce. And it is wrong, which is why we believe it is time the UN General Assembly vote to remove them," Greenfield said.
4.2 Million Have Fled Ukraine: UN
More than 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees have now fled the country since the Russian invasion, the United Nations said on Monday, adding that the humanitarian situation was worsening.
Moscow Imposes Visa Curbs on 'Unfriendly' Countries
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday to introduce visa restrictions for citizens of countries that Russia considers "unfriendly", Al Jazeera reported.
The decree suspends the simplified visa issuance regime Russia has with some European Union (EU) countries in addition to Norway, Switzerland and Iceland.
Ukraine Investigating Russian 'Crimes Against Humanity'
Ukraine’s prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova accused Russian forces of carrying out a number of "crimes against humanity", and said that Kyiv was investigating a number of such cases involving Russia's military across the country.
Zelenskyy Visits Bucha, Says World will Recognise Russia's 'Genocide'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the town of Bucha, where hundreds of corpses were reportedly buried after Russian forces withdrew from the region, AFP reported.
Zelenskyy said amid his visit that the world would recognise the killings in Bucha as a "genocide" committed by Russia.
Biden Calls for a ‘War Crimes Trial’ Over Bucha Killings
United States President Joe Biden has called for a "war crimes trial" over Bucha killings in Ukraine. He added that more sanctions are currently being sought against Russia, AFP reported.