Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ally Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that the killings in Bucha are fake propaganda.
“These are fakes that matured in the cynical imagination of Ukrainian propaganda,” he said.
In the wake of the withdrawal of Russian troops, horrific images are tumbling out of Bucha that portray the barbarity of the invasion.
Denouncing the killings as ”genocide” and ”war crimes” Ukrainian President said, “We know that thousands of people have been killed and tortured with extremities cut off, women raped, children killed.”
Reports claimed there were mass graves found in Bucha, however, Russia said the accusation was “fake”. The bodies of five men were reportedly found in Bucha who were unnamed civilians. The bodies were discovered with hands reportedly tied to their backs.
Russia’s Defence Ministry has said that “not a single civilian has faced any violent action by the Russian military.”
Also read | ‘These are war crimes’: Ukraine President Zelensky fights back tears during Bucha visit
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described the scenes outside Kyiv as a “stage-managed anti-Russian provocation.”
In response, US President Joe Biden said, “What’s happening to Bucha is outrageous and everyone’s seen it.”
“We have to gather all the details to have a war crimes trial at the International Criminal Court.”
According to Andreas Schüller, programme director for International Crimes and Accountability at the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights in Berlin, “If you want to look into chains of command and perpetrators, it’s important to analyze and gather information about which unit is where.”
“You need linkage evidence from the entire military apparatus. Documents could be leaked, or witnesses could speak up and disclose internal planning operations.”
(With inputs from agencies)
