Russian soldiers have been accused of committing “genocide” amid reports of mass graves, torture and street corpses as Kremlin forces withdraw from Kyiv. “We have to gather the information,” Biden said. “We must continue to provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs to continue the fight. “This guy is brutal. And what is happening in Bucha is outrageous and everyone has seen it.” Latest news of war in Ukraine – ‘Unspoken horror’ in liberated cities as satellite images show mass graves Biden’s top security adviser, Jake Sullivan, added that Russia was likely planning to “deploy tens of thousands of troops” in eastern Ukraine as it shifted its focus to the south and east of the country. Germany says it has deported 40 Russian envoys for the atrocities in Bucha – adding that further measures are being prepared with the allies. This was followed by France, which sent an unknown number of diplomats home. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the Russian soldiers “murderers, executioners, rapists, raiders”, while Moscow categorically denied that it had killed civilians in Bucha. Key developments: British Foreign Secretary Liz Tras said Russia should be excluded from the UN Human Rights Council over the discovery of bodies and mass graves found in the city. Ukrainian officials say some of the victims were shot in the head with their hands tied behind their backs and there has been international outrage and allegations of war crimes in the Kremlin. Some Western leaders have also called for further sanctions in response to the alleged atrocities – even as Putin’s forces continue to push their attacks to the east. Once a popular city for travelers about 16 miles outside the capital, Bucha was devastated by heavy fighting before being liberated by Ukrainian forces at the weekend. Read more: Mass graves, torture and broken bodies – Bucha’s horror revealed Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:32 “You saw what happened in Bucha” – Biden There was an international outcry over the death and destruction scenes unveiled at the weekend as Ukrainian forces pushed further away from Kyiv and liberated the surrounding cities. The images appeared on Sunday with Ukrainian civilians lying in the streets of Bucha, with witnesses saying the victims were killed by Russian forces without any apparent provocation – claims Moscow denies. Bukha Mayor Anatoly Fedoruk said more than 300 residents had been killed, while Ukrainian prosecutors said they had found 410 bodies in cities near the capital. Image: Bodies of civilians, who according to residents were killed by Russian soldiers, lying on the road in Bucha Some of the victims had their hands tied and were shot in the back of the head, Ukrainian authorities said. A Bukha resident said Russian troops went from building to building and pulled people out of the basements where they were hiding. He said the soldiers checked their phones for evidence of anti-Russian activity and took them or shot them. Picture: “You saw what happened in Bucha” – Biden Zelensky calls Russian soldiers “murderers, executioners, rapists, raiders” President Zelensky accused the Moscow forces of committing “genocide”, saying that “a concentrated evil has visited our land”. He said: “The murderers, the executioners, the rapists, the raiders who call themselves the army – and who only deserve death after what they have done.” The Ukrainian leader visited the recently liberated city as he continues to ask for further global support. Russia’s Defense Ministry has denied allegations of civilian atrocities in Bukha and other suburbs of Kiev. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:04 Zelensky of Ukraine walks in Bucha Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also dismissed the allegations, describing the scenes outside Kyiv as a “stage anti-Russian provocation.” Moscow will push for a UN Security Council meeting to discuss what it called “Ukrainian challenges” in Bucha. White House “concludes that Russia has committed war crimes” Biden’s top security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said the White House had concluded that “Russia has committed war crimes, and Bhutto is providing further evidence to support that.” He added that the next stage in the conflict could be extended and that Russia still has forces that “outnumber” Ukraine, adding that Putin’s troops have turned their attention to the south and east. “At this juncture, we believe Russia is rethinking its war goals to focus on ‘eastern and parts of southern Ukraine instead of targeting most of the territory,’” he told reporters at the White House. Mr Sullivan said the United States would continue to support Ukraine with military, humanitarian and financial assistance. Elsewhere, French President Emmanuel Macron said there was “clear evidence of war crimes” in Boucha. He told France-Inter radio: “What just happened in Bucha requires a new round of sanctions and very clear measures. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 5:23 Who decides what war crimes are and what happens when they are committed? “I am in favor of a new round of sanctions, especially on coal and petrol. We have to act. “ Russia’s Liz Truss wrote on Twitter: “Given the strong evidence of war crimes, including reports of mass graves and heinous massacres in Bucha, Russia can not remain a member of the UN Human Rights Council. Russia must stop.” . He added: “The United Kingdom, Poland and our allies are stepping up pressure on Russia to invade Ukraine illegally. “I am in Warsaw to talk to the Polish government, our firm partners in supporting Ukraine.” European Council President Charles Michel, meanwhile, wrote on Twitter that the EU was helping Ukrainians and rights groups gather evidence to be used in international courts, adding that “further sanctions and EU support are under way”. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also called for those responsible for the Bucha killings to be held accountable, saying they “must respond to these alleged cases of crimes against humanity, war crimes and, why not, genocide.” Kremlin forces focus on Donbass area, UK Foreign Office says Allegations of war crimes come as Russian forces continue to “consolidate and reorganize” their efforts as they re-focus their offensive in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where they are allied with Wagner mercenaries, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. On the coast, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) humanitarian workers were unable to reach Mariupol on Monday due to “security concerns” as the city continues to be besieged by Russian forces, the group said. Later on Monday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said more than 1,500 civilians had been evacuated from the besieged port of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine. He said a total of 2,405 people had been evacuated along a humanitarian corridor route from Mariupol to the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia, with about 1,553 of them coming from Mariupol itself and the rest from other locations. Image: A body with hands tied with white cloth, which according to residents was shot by Russian soldiers in Bucha Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Liz Tras will visit Poland on Monday to call for tougher sanctions on Russia as Western nations work together to increase economic pressure on the Kremlin. In a Twitter message, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “All the tanks and weapons in Vladimir Putin’s arsenal will never break the spirit of the Ukrainian people or conquer their homeland.” “Britain will never hesitate to support our friends,” he added. It comes as the UK leader seeks to mobilize a tougher response from Western allies, including NATO members, against Russia. Meanwhile, European Council President Charles Michel said the European Union was preparing further sanctions following the actions of Russian forces in Bucha.
