Russia became the subject of global condemnation on Monday as its invasion of Ukraine entered the 40th day with more gruesome details of the war emerging fast from several corners.
In Bucha, a town situated at the north of Ukraine, near Kyiv, bodies of several civilians were found. Fresh images showed their hands tied and shot from a close range, indicating mass executions by Russian troops. This triggered a massive outrage across the world with world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden, calling for more severe sanctions against Russia.
The Kremlin categorically denied the claims and shifted the blame on Kyiv, saying, "chronology of the events in Bucha did not support Ukraine's version of events and urged international leaders not to rush to a judgment."
Here are top developments from the ongoing conflict:
>Ukraine said Russian troops are preparing a big attack in the east, news agency AFP reported.
> Ukrainian authorities said they had found 421 civilian casualties near Kyiv by Sunday. Bucha's deputy mayor Taras Shapravskyi said around 50 victims of extrajudicial killings by Russian troops had been found in the area after Kremlin forces withdrew late last week.
{{/usCountry}}> Ukrainian authorities said they had found 421 civilian casualties near Kyiv by Sunday. Bucha's deputy mayor Taras Shapravskyi said around 50 victims of extrajudicial killings by Russian troops had been found in the area after Kremlin forces withdrew late last week.
{{/usCountry}}> Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Bucha town and carried out inspections at sites where mass graves were found. "These are war crimes and will be recognised by the world as genocide," Zelenskyy while addressing from Bucha. He also said it would be harder for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia since the scale of alleged atrocities emerged.
> Reacting to the killings, Biden said his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was a war criminal and called for a “war crimes trial” against him. “Putin "is brutal. And what's happening in Bucha is outrageous, and everyone's seen it," Biden told reporters at the White House.
> In Mariupol, a southeastern port that has been under Russian siege for weeks, several bodies of civilians have been found around residential areas, according to news agency Reuters.
> A senior US defence official said Russia has repositioned about two-thirds of its forces from around Kyiv, with many consolidating in close ally Belarus where they were expected to be refit, resupplied and be redeployed elsewhere in Ukraine, according to a Reuters report.
> British military intelligence also said Russian troops, including contractors from the Wagner private military company, were moving to the eastern side now.
> Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the eastern Luhansk region, said Russia was building up forces to break through Ukrainian defences. Gaidai also urged residents to evacuate immediately as "the enemy will not stop, it will destroy everything in its path."
> Germany reiterated the need to ban Russian gas, while the country's banks warned that it might fall into a steep recession if the supply is halted. The European Union also called for a discussion on banning Russian gas, though other officials urged caution around measures that could touch off a European energy crisis.
> Germany is expelling 40 Russian diplomats in response to the killings in Bucha and says further measures with partners are being prepared.
(With agency inputs)