A growing chorus of world leaders on Monday condemned Russia after Ukrainian officials and journalists reported scores of dead civilians when Russian troops retreated from areas around Kyiv.
French President Emmanuel Macron said there was “clear evidence of war crimes” in Bucha, where 280 people were buried in mass graves, according to Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. An Associated Press reporter saw the bodies of at least 21 people in various spots around the city. Ukrainian officials said the bodies of 410 civilians were found in Kyiv-area towns that were recently retaken from Russian forces.
Leaders and top government officials in Albania, Kosovo, Spain, Poland, Estonia, Japan, New Zealand and the EU’s top diplomat condemned the actions. Russia has dismissed the accusations.
TO new report from Human Rights Watch says the nonprofit has documented several cases of Russia committing “laws-of-war violations” against civilians in Ukraine.
The report, released Sunday, said Russian military forces have committed war crimes in Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Kyiv, including repeated rape, two cases of summary execution and other cases of unlawful violence and threats against civilians from Feb. 27 to March 14.
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Latest developments:
►Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Bucha on Monday, speaking with local residents and reiterating that Russia had committed war crimes, the BBC reported.
►Germany’s defense minister floated the idea of European countries halting gas supplies from Russia in light of the alleged attacks on civilians in Bucha.
►Lithuania says it has cut itself off entirely of gas imports from Russia, apparently becoming the first of the European Union’s 27 nations using Russian gas to break its energy dependence upon Moscow.
►The UK Ministry of Defense said heavy fighting has continued in Mariupol, and that the city is “almost certainly a key objective of the Russian invasion” because it would connect Russia to the occupied territory of Crimea by land.
►in his annual letter to shareholders, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said managing sanctions against Russia has been an “enormous undertaking” and that the bank could lose $1 billion over time. The war and prior trade disputes with China “likely will affect geopolitics for decades,” he said.
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Zelenskyy says Ukraine will create special investigation into war crimes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country would conduct an investigation into alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine as mounting reports show dead civilians outside Kyiv.
Calling it a special justice mechanism, Zelenskyy said the probe would be in conjunction with international prosecutors and judges.
“The time has come to make the war crimes committed by Russian troops the last such evil on Earth,” he said.
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Zelenskyy makes impassioned speech at Grammys
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the 64th Grammy Awards Sundayspeaking in a pre-recorded segment shown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena before John Legend performed a tribute to the war-torn country.
Zelenskyy urged artists assembled to “tell our story” of a country under attack by Russian forces.
“Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals,” Zelenskyy said. ‘Even to those who cannot hear them, but their music will break through.’
Zelenskyy ended the speech by listing Ukrainian cities under siege. “I have a dream of them living, and free,” he said. “Free like you and the Grammy stage.”
–Bryan Alexander
Contributing: The Associated Press
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism