Topline
Ukrainian officials on Tuesday said they have opened an investigation into alleged torture and killing of civilians by Russian forces in the city of Bucha, near Kyiv, as the tally of alleged Russian war crimes being investigated by Ukraine approached 4,700.
Ukrainian soldiers recover the remains of four killed civilians from inside a charred vehicle in … [+] Bucha, outskirts of Kyiv.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Key Facts
Ukrainian officials are investigating the alleged torture, killing and attempted burning of bodies of six civilians in Bucha, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova tweeted, calling the incident “horrifying”.
The prosecutor general alleges that Russian troops tried to set fire to the bodies of the killed civilians to hide their crimes, but Ukrainian investigators have managed to detect traces of violence and torture against the six victims.
According to the official website of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, her office is now investigating 4,684 alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces on Ukrainian soil.
In a separate statement, Venediktova accused Russian soldiers of committing sexual violence against Ukrainian women and men, children and elderly people—and noted that many victims were silent about it due to “fear, pain, despair, total distrust of all.”
Big Number
167. That’s the total number of children in Ukraine who have been killed since Russia’s invasion in February, the prosecutor general’s office said on Wednesday. Additionally, more than 279 children have been injured so far.
Key Background
On Sunday, Ukrainian officials said they discovered the bodies of at least 410 dead civilians in Bucha and other suburbs to the north of Kyiv after Russian troops were forced to retreat from the region. The corpses of some of the victims were strewn across roads in Bucha while others were discovered hastily buried inside mass graves. Images that emerged from the city over the weekend showed some of the bodies with their hands tied behind their back and gunshot wounds on their head. The images from Bucha have triggered major global outrage against Russia and the country is expected to face a slew of additional sanctions this week.
Further Reading
Putin’s Daughters Reportedly May Be Hit With EU Sanctions After Bucha Massacre (Forbes)
Zelensky Calls For Russia To Be Stripped Of Permanent Seat On U.N. Security Council Over Evidence Of War Crimes (Forbes)
More Sanctions Against Russia ‘On Their Way’ After Bucha Massacre Allegations—Here’s What To Watch For (Forbes)
