Ukraine: Satellite image shows trench at a mass grave site in Bucha — live updates
Monday, 4 April 2022 (13:15 IST)
Satellite images show a trench dug into the grounds of a church where a mass grave was found after Russian forces withdrew from the town of Bucha. World leaders have condemned the killings.
France calls for fresh sanctions after Bucha revelations
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he was in favor of introducing new sanctions against Russia after Ukraine said that Russian forces had carried out mass killings of civilians in areas around Kyiv.
Macron told French Inter radio that there were "clear indications" of Russian war crimes in Bucha.
"What happened in Bucha demands a new round of sanctions and very clear measures," he added.
He joined other European officials in tabling again the possibility of imposing sanctions against Russian fossil fuel exports. The EU is broadly dependent on Russian oil and gas while the Russian economy is dependent on its fossil fuel exports.
UK intelligence notes Russian consolidation in Donbas
Monday's intelligence update from the UK's Ministry of Defence stated that Russia is consolidating its position in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine — parts of which have been under the control of Russian-backed separatists since 2014.
The update also said that further Russian forces, as well as the soldiers from the Wagner mercenary group with links to Moscow, were being deployed in the eastern region.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 4 April 2022
— Ministry of Defence ???????? (@DefenceHQ) April 4, 2022
US condemns 'atrocities' in Bucha
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington strongly condemns the killings of civilians in Bucha and other areas across Ukraine.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Blinken described the killings as "apparent atrocities" that were committed by "Kremlin forces."
We strongly condemn apparent atrocities by Kremlin forces in Bucha and across Ukraine. We are pursuing accountability using every tool available, documenting and sharing information to hold accountable those responsible.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 4, 2022
"We are pursuing accountability using every tool available, documenting and sharing information to hold accountable those responsible," the top US diplomat said.
Zelenskyy asks for support in video message at the Grammy Awards
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared in a pre-recorded message at the Grammy Awards urging viewers to "support us in any way you can. Any, but not silence."
"On our land we are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs. The dead silence. Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story," he added.
John Legend then performed a new song, "free" with Ukrainian artists Mika Newton, Siuzanna Iglidan and poet Lyuba Yakimchuk.
The Recording Academy also urged viewers to donate to help Ukraine and to join Global Citizen's #StandUpForUkraine campaign.
Dutch journalist deported from Ukraine
Dutch journalist Robert Dulmers was expelled from Ukraine after posting a video of a Russian missile attack on an oil refinery and fuel storage facility in Odesa.
He said Ukrainian authorities told him he revealed state secrets by posting images of the Russian missile impact in the key port city.
Dulmers has been reporting from Ukraine for the Nederlands Dagblad newspaper since the start of the war.
After being detained by unidentified operatives, he was driven to the Moldovian border and was told he was banned from entering Ukraine for ten years.
Extradited from Ukraine because of doing my job. Persona non grata for 10 years pic.twitter.com/IMWTrZThPI
The Dutch Journalists' Assocation NVJ appealed to Ukrainian authorities to reconsider the decision, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported
Zelenskyy creates agency to investigate and prosecute Russian war crimes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fears that "more terrible things could unfold" and "even more deaths and abuses" could emerge from Ukrainian regions still under Russian control.
"Hundreds of people were killed. Tortured, executed civilians. Corpses on the street," he said in a Sunday evening video message.
Zelenskyy accused Russians of committing atrocities against unarmed civilians in Bucha and other Ukrainian cities.
The Ukrainian leader also announced the creation of a special agency to investigate and litigate crimes committed by Russian forces.
"There is a common responsibility. For these killings, for this torture, for arms blown off by blasts... For the shots in the back of the head," Zelenskyy added.
Images from Bucha near Kyiv, where civilian corpses were found on the streets and mass graves were found after Russia's withdrawal, have prompted international outrage.
Zelensky also took aim at former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France's former President Nicolas Sarkozy, claiming their Russia policy contributed to the current crisis.
"I invite Mrs. Merkel and Mr. Sarkozy to visit Bucha and see what a policy of concessions for 14 years has led to," he said.
In 2008, Germany, France and smaller NATO states withstood pressure from the US to offer Ukraine membership of the alliance, saying it wasn't ready and Russia could be antagonized.
Satellite image shows mass grave site in Bucha
New satellite imagery of Bucha revealed a 45-foot (13.71 meter) trench at a site where a mass grave has been identified, a US satellite data firm says.
The pictures from Maxar Technologies showed trench dug into the grounds of the Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints.
The images were captured on 31 March, but the company said the first signs of excavation for a mass grave were seen on March 10.
A mass grave has been found on church grounds in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha.
Satellite images posted Sunday show early signs of excavation at the site on March 10. An image taken on March 31 shows an approximately 13.7-meter-long trench, where reportedly 57 bodies were found. pic.twitter.com/7wCUdIZ7ra
Bodies were first buried in the grave on the church grounds in the first days of the war, residents told CNN.
Ukraine accused Russian forces of carrying out a "massacre" in the town on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Russia requested the UN Security Council to convene to discuss the accusations.
Round-up of events in Ukraine war on Sunday
Western leaders have condemned the killings of unarmed civilians in Bucha and the surrounding areas of Kyiv.
Ukraine's Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said prosecutors investigating possible war crimes carried out by Russian troops. Ukrainian forces found 410 bodies in towns near Kyiv over the weekend.
A leading rights group, Human Rights Watch told DW it had documented what it described as "apparent war crimes."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced what he called Russia's attempt to eliminate "the whole nation" during an appearance Sunday on US broadcaster CBS, saying: "This is genocide."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Western allies would agree on further sanctions on Russia in the coming days over its invasion of Ukraine and the "atrocities" committed by Russian troops in a town near Kyiv.
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has called on the European Union to discuss a ban on Russian gas imports after reports emerged of Russian forces committing atrocities near Kyiv.
Russia requested a UN Security Council session on Monday over Bucha war crime allegations. Russia described photos and videos from the town as a "staged performance," despite the first-hand verifications of the killings by journalists from several international outlets.
Russian missiles also targeted key infrastructure, including a likely oil refinery, in Ukraine's southern port of Odesa.
