5.26 a.m. BST 05:26
Satellite images are supposed to show the 45-meter-long mass grave at Bucha
Satellite imagery of the Ukrainian city of Butsa appears to show a moat about 45 meters long dug into the ground of a church believed to be a mass grave for murdered civilians. The images, taken by private US space company Maxar Technologies on March 31, show signs of excavation at St. Andrew’s Church and Pyervozvannoho All Saints, the company said. Reuters reporters who visited Bouha on Saturday said they observed a mass grave in a church, describing that they saw hands and feet piercing through red clay. Maxar Technologies, which collects and publishes satellite images of Ukraine, said the first signs of excavation for a mass grave in the church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho of All Saints appeared on March 10. “Most recent coverage on March 31 shows the tomb with a moat about 45 feet long in the southwest of the area near the church,” Maxar said. The Guardian could not immediately verify the images. A satellite image released by Maxar Technologies on April 3 shows a possible tomb site near the Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho of All Saints in Bucha, Ukraine. Photo: Satellite image © 2022 Maxar Tech / AFP / Getty Images A closer look at a possible tomb can be seen behind the church. Photo: Satellite image © 2022 Maxar Tech / AFP / Getty Images A mass grave is visible behind a church in the city of Bucha, northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Photo: Sergei Supinsky / AFP / Getty Images
5.14 a.m. BST 05:14
Russia is mobilizing another 60,000 troops, according to the Ukrainian military
The Ukrainian military has just released its operational report at 6 a.m. this morning, claiming that Russia has begun a “secret mobilization” of about 60,000 troops to make up for lost units in Ukraine. “The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation plan to involve about 60,000 people during the mobilization,” said the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Officials added that Ukrainian forces had prevented seven attacks on the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk in the last 24 hours. A damaged tank appeared in the Hostomel area in Bucha, Ukraine. Photo: Anadolu Agency / Getty Images
5.07 a.m. BST 05:07
Hello, Samantha Lock is with you as we continue to provide the latest developments from Ukraine. Disturbing reports are coming from the cities of Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel near the capital Kiev, where the discovery of the bodies of unarmed civilians in mass graves and on the streets has prompted world leaders to call for an independent war crimes investigation. The following is a summary of what we know so far:
Ukraine has accused Russian forces of committing war crimes and “massacres” in Bukha, a city just 30 kilometers northwest of the capital Kiev, following the discovery of the bodies of unarmed Ukrainian civilians and mass graves on Sunday. Bodies of civilians – many with their hands tied, wounds from close-up gunfire and signs of torture – were found on the streets after the city was recaptured by Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian prosecutors say they found 410 bodies in cities near Kyiv and 140 bodies were examined Sunday. Russia has denied allegations that its forces killed civilians as it retreated from the war-torn country. Satellite images from Bucha appear to show a moat about 45 feet long dug into the ground of a church where a mass grave has been located. World leaders have condemned the killings and called for an independent inquiry. French President Emmanuel Macron, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, German Chancellor Olaf Soltz, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield have all condemned the protests in Russia. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken described the killings as a “punch in the gut” and joined Western allies in vowing to document the atrocities to hold the perpetrators accountable. Russia has described the situation in Bukhara as a “provocation” by Ukraine aimed at disrupting peace talks. The Kremlin Foreign Ministry has said that Russia is seeking a UN Security Council meeting on the issue. The Defense Ministry described the photos and videos as “another staged show of the Kiev regime.” Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s deputy spokesman for the UN Security Council, wrote on Twitter on Sunday: “In the light of the horrific provocation of Ukrainian radicals in Bukha, Russia has requested a meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday, April 4.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has condemned Russian forces as “murderers”, “torturers” and “rapists” in the light of the public, describing the Kremlin-ordered attack on his country as genocide. “How did they become butchers?” “They killed deliberately and with pleasure,” he said in a national speech late Sunday. He vowed to investigate and prosecute all Russian “crimes” in Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said Bucha was a “deliberate massacre” speaking to Times radio on Sunday. Describing Russia as “worse than the Islamic State”, he said Russian forces were guilty of murder, torture, rape and looting. He also urged G7 countries to impose “catastrophic” sanctions immediately. Zelensky criticized the West’s “policy of concessions to Russia” before the war. Describing Ukraine’s previous bid to join NATO: “They thought that by denying Ukraine, they could appease Russia, persuade it to respect Ukraine and live normally next to us … I call on Mrs. Merkel and Mr. Sarkozy to visit Butsa and see what the concession policy in Russia has led to for 14 years. “To see with their own eyes the tortured Ukrainian men and women.” Russian forces continued their attacks on other Ukrainian cities. Seven people were killed and 34 were injured after being hit in a residential area in Kharkiv on Sunday, local prosecutors said. At least 70% of Chernihiv has been destroyed by Russian forces, the city’s mayor said on Sunday. Vladislav Atroshenko said the “consequences” of the attacks were serious and reflected those of other cities that had suffered severe damage in Ukraine, such as Bukha and Mariupol. The siege of Mariupol is a “key target” of the Russian invasion, the UK Ministry of Defense has said, as heavy fighting continues in the southeastern city. Russian missiles hit “critical infrastructure,” most likely a fuel depot near Ukraine’s southern port of Odessa, in the early hours of Sunday, but no casualties were reported, city officials said. The European Union (EU) should consider banning gas imports from Russia, said German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht. The enormous scale of sexual violence perpetrated by women and girls in Ukraine has begun to emerge as victims recount the abuse they have suffered at the hands of Russian soldiers. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says 3,455 civilians have been killed since the start of the war in Ukraine. The number includes more than 1,400 deaths and more than 2,000 injuries, but the actual number is believed to be significantly higher, the agency said in a recently published report. Zelensky appeared in a video message at the Grammy Awards, urging viewers to “fill the silence with your music” and “tell the truth about the war” on social media and on television.
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