4.3.22
International leaders condemned Russian military forces on Sunday following reports of an alleged mass grave and graphic images of civilian killings in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv. As Ukrainian soldiers regained control, Ukrainian leaders shared images of people fatally shot with their hands tied behind their backs left lying on the streets amid rubble. Journalists also reported evidence of atrocities and shared photos of civilians who had been killed. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, went live on Twitter Sunday and said the images coming out of Bucha were "unspeakable" and devastating for Ukrainians. Russia's Ministry of Defense suggested artillery fire from Ukrainian forces shot after Russian troops withdrew could have resulted in civilian casualties. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN the images were a punch to the gut. "The most important thing is we can't become numb to this, we can't normalize this," Blinken said. "This is the reality of what's going on every single day as long as Russia's brutality against Ukraine continues, that's why it needs to come to an end."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also called for an investigation into Russia's alleged war crimes and said perpetrators must be held accountable. Annalena Baerbock, German foreign minister, said the images were unbearable and said Russian President Vladimir Putin's violence was wiping out innocent families and knows no bounds. Germany will support Ukraine even more in their defense and tighten sanctions against Russia, she said. "Those responsible for these war crimes must be held accountable," Baerbock said on Twitter. Kaja Kallas, the prime minister of Estonia, compared the killing of civilians in Bucha to Soviet and Nazi mass killings. "This is not a battlefield, it’s a crime scene," she wrote on Twitter. "Mass killings of Ukrainian civilians by #Russia are clear war crimes." Boris Johnson, prime minister of the UK, said Russia’s despicable attacks against innocent civilians in Bucha are more evidence that Putin and his army are committing war crimes in Ukraine. "No denial or disinformation from the Kremlin can hide what we all know to be the truth – Putin is desperate, his invasion is failing, and Ukraine’s resolve has never been stronger," Johnson said on Twitter. "I will do everything in my power to starve Putin’s war machine."