Ukraine mass killings: A lowdown as world reacts with horror

The widely circulated photographs of mass killings from Ukraine's Bucha and other areas in the Kyiv region have drawn much condemnation from global leaders, urging the West to discuss further sanctions on Russia.

Horrific images from the outskirts of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, have left world leaders shocked and horrified as reports of mass graves of hundreds of Ukrainian civilians pour in - the latest in the list of war crimes Russia has been accused of. Although Moscow has categorically denied the responsibility for the killings, it is bound to face fresh sanctions from the United States and Europe, who've sided with Kyiv to punish the Kremlin over the “massacre”.

Ira Gavriluk holds her cat as she walks among the bodies of her husband, brother, and another man, who were killed outside her home in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine.(AP)

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, who visited Bucha on Monday, warned that more deaths were likely to be uncovered in areas seized back from Russian invaders. He is set to address the UN Security Council for the first time on Tuesday to throw light on the allegations of mass killings.

The horror in Ukraine's words

Ukraine had claimed that they had found at least 410 civilian casualties near Kyiv by Sunday. The government added that out of them, 50 bodies found in Bucha were victims of extra-judicial killings by Russian troops. The Pentagon said that it was “fairly obvious” that Russian forces are responsible for the atrocities in Bucha.

The Kremlin has denied any accusations and said the graves and corpses had been staged by Ukraine to tarnish Russia. Seeking an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Russia said it would present "empirical evidence" of the “lies” by Ukraine and its Western sponsors.

On the other hand, Zelensky pledged that Ukraine would work with the European Union and the International Criminal Court to identify Russian fighters involved in what he called the “genocide” and “war crimes” in Bucha.

Reactions and revulsions

The widely-circulated photographs from the Kyiv regio have drawn condemnation from global leaders. The graphic images of battered or burned bodies left out in the open or hastily buried have led to calls for tougher sanctions, especially a cutoff of fuel imports from Russia.

Reacting to the events, US president Joe Biden called Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a war criminal who should be put on trial. “This guy is brutal, and what’s happening in Bucha is outrageous,” Biden was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Germany and France have condemned the incident by expelling dozens of Russian diplomats, suggesting they were spies.

The US and Britain also announced plans to push for Russia's suspension from the UN Human Rights Council. "Given strong evidence of war crimes, including reports of mass graves and heinous butchery in Bucha, Russia cannot remain a member of the UN Human Rights Council. Russia must be suspended," said British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

However, suspending Russia from the council would require a vote in favor by two-thirds of the UN General Assembly.

In a tweet, Canada's Justin Trudeau said: "When we spoke today, @ScottMorrisonMP and I strongly condemned the murder of civilians in Ukraine, committed to holding Russia accountable, and discussed the urgent need for humanitarian assistance. I also invited him to take part in this Saturday’s #StandUpForUkraine event."

“The bloody massacres committed by the Russians, by the Russian soldiers, deserve to be called by their name. It is genocide and this crime must be tried as the crime of genocide ... When we look at the terrible crimes against women, children and entire families, our scream should be even louder. Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel, Motyzhyn: (these) are the names of the places that each of us will probably remember for the rest of our lives. The Russians committed the crime of genocide." Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki was quoted as saying by AP.

(With agency inputs)