Russia invades Ukraine: Western leaders voice horror over Bucha 'war crimes'

The New Arab's live coverage of the latest from the Russian invasion of Ukraine concludes for today.

Here were the key developments from Monday:

Calls for war crimes trial over Bucha killings

The discovery of bodies scattered on the streets of the Ukrainian town of Bucha after the withdrawal of Russian forces sparked global outrage.

US President Joe Biden called for a war crimes trial and more sanctions on Russia.

The UN's human rights chief Michelle Bachelet also said the images of people in civilian clothing, some of whom appear to have been bound by their hands and feet before being shot, suggested "possible war crimes", as does German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.

On a visit to the town, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky labelled the killings "genocide", a term echoed by the prime minister of Poland.

Russian denial

The Kremlin denied Russian forces killed civilians, claiming that the images of dead bodies in Bucha are "fakes" produced by "Ukrainian radicals."

"We categorically reject all allegations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Moscow has called for a special UN Security Council meeting to discuss the situation.

More EU sanctions

The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says the bloc is urgently discussing a new round of sanctions on Russia over the "atrocities" reported in Bucha and other Ukrainian towns that were occupied by Russian forces.

"We stand in full solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in these sombre hours for the whole world," he says.

Diplomats expelled

The former Soviet republic of Lithuania expelled the Russian ambassador to Vilnius over what it calls the "horrific massacre" in Bucha and atrocities in other occupied Ukrainian cities. Moscow has vowed to retaliate.

Germany expelled a "significant number" of Russian diplomats in what foreign minister Annalena Baerbock called a response to the "unbelievable brutality" the Kremlin had unleashed in Ukraine.

Eastern offensive 

After withdrawing from northern Ukraine, Russia stepped up its attacks in the east and south.

Seven people are reported killed and 34 wounded in strikes on Ukraine's second-biggest city Kharkiv, with three more reported killed in the suburb of Dergachi.

In the south, seven people were killed in shelling of the town of Ochakiv on the Black Sea and one person was killed in a strike on the nearby city of Mykolaiv, Ukrainian authorities say.

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Germany expelling 'substantial number' of Russian diplomats: minister

Germany on Monday expelled a "significant number" of Russian diplomats in what foreign minister Annalena Baerbock called a response to the "unbelievable brutality" the Kremlin had unleashed in Ukraine.

The move, AFP has learned, involves 40 envoys and follows similar moves by European partners in recent days as a reaction to Russia's war on its neighbour.

"The images from Bucha speak to unbelievable brutality by the Russian leadership and by those who follow its propaganda with a boundless will to exterminate," Baerbock said, referring to the town near Kyiv where dozens of bodies were found in mass graves or littering the streets.

The Kremlin has rejected Western accusations that Russian forces were responsible.

Baerbock described the diplomats' presence "as a threat" to the more than 300,000 Ukrainians "who have sought protection here" since the invasion began.

"We will no longer tolerate that - we communicated that to the Russian ambassador this afternoon," she said.

Baerbock said Germany would take further steps "with our partners" including "imposing harsher sanctions on Russia, decisively expanding support for Ukraine's fighting forces and bolstering NATO's eastern flank".

Lithuania expels Russian ambassador over civilian deaths near Kyiv

Lithuania is expelling the Russian ambassador to the Baltic country after Ukraine accused Russian forces of killing civilians in the town of Bucha, the Lithuanian foreign ministry said on Monday.

"Lithuania stands in full solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, who are victims of Russia's unprecedented aggression," foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said in a statement.

"The war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian armed forces in Ukraine will not be forgotten," he added.

Lithuania also said it would close Russia's consulate in the port city of Klaipeda and said its envoy to Moscow "would return in the near future".

Meanwhile, neighbouring Latvia said it would take steps regarding its own diplomatic ties with Russia, without giving specifics.

(Reuters)

Biden calls for 'war crimes trial' over Bucha killings

US President Joe Biden on Monday called for a war crimes trial over the alleged atrocities against civilians in Bucha, Ukraine, and said he wants more sanctions imposed on Russia.

Calling President Vladimir Putin "a war criminal" and the killings "a war crime," Biden told reporters there should be "a war crimes trial."

Biden has called Putin a war criminal in the past, provoking an angry response from the Kremlin.

"You may remember I got criticised," he said. "Well the truth of the matter is, you saw what happened in Bucha... This guy is brutal and what's happening to Bucha is outrageous and everyone's seen it."

Putin "is a war criminal," he said - but he added that "we have to gather all the details" to be able to have a trial.

The US and NATO, wary of direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia, have instead poured money and arms into Ukraine while leveling unprecedented sanctions against Moscow and Putin's cronies in a bid to cripple the economy.

On Monday Biden said he was seeking yet more sanctions. "He should be held accountable," he said of his Russian counterpart.

Kyiv accuses Russia of 'inhumane' treatment of captured soldiers

Kyiv on Monday accused Moscow of mistreating Ukrainian soldiers captured by the Russian army, saying testimonies of released prisoners of war described beatings, intimidation and inhospitable detention conditions.

"Ukrainian soldiers told of the inhumane treatment of them by the Russian side: They were kept in a field, in a pit, in a garage," Ukraine's human rights ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova said in a statement distributed on social media, adding some had been "beaten with butts" and "intimidated".

Russia and Ukraine have confirmed exchanges of prisoners twice since Moscow ordered troops into Ukraine at the end of February. The second exchange swap included military personnel.

Denisova accused the Russian side of coercing Ukrainian soldiers captured from Snake Island to speak to Russian media for "propaganda purposes".

She said the soldiers had described being taken to an unknown location and where they were held in freezing conditions where they suffered frostbite.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had hailed the heroism of 13 border guards on Snake Island in the Black Sea who were initially believed to have been killed after refusing to surrender to a Russian warship.

Red Cross says cannot reach Mariupol for evacuations due to security conditions

A team of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has not been able to reach the besieged city of Mariupol on Monday to evacuate civilians, a spokesperson said, citing security conditions.

"Due to security conditions, our team has not been able to reach Mariupol today," spokesperson Jason Straziuso said in emailed comments to Reuters.

The attempt was the fourth in as many days to reach the city, which has been under siege since Russia's invasion of Ukraine that began on 24 February.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk accused Russian forces of blocking the Red Cross's evacuation efforts in televised remarks on Monday.

Straziuso declined to comment on the allegation.

"We are still trying (to get to Mariupol)," he added. The organisation withdrew its team, which included staff members with young children, from Mariupol in mid-March after they ran out of aid."

(Reuters)

Besieged Mariupol '90 percent' destroyed: mayor

The port city of Mariupol in the southeast of Ukraine has been "90 percent" destroyed after being besieged by Russian forces, its mayor Vadym Boichenko said on Monday.

Forty percent of the damaged infrastructure is "unrecoverable", Boichenko said.

Approximately half a million people lived in the city on the coast of the Sea of Azov before the outbreak of the war.

Around 130,000 people remain trapped in the city, which continues to be pounded by Russian bombardments, Boichenko said.

Read the full story here 

Russia to resume flights with 52 'friendly' countries, PM says

Russia plans to end restrictions on flights to and from 52 countries after 9 April, prime minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Monday.

The flight resumptions are part of Russia's plans to reduce measures taken to slow the spread of Covid-19, Mishustin said.

Russia plans to resume flights to and from Argentina, South Africa and other "friendly countries", Mishustin said, meaning those that have not joined the latest wave of Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia imposed broad travel restrictions at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, many of which remain in force, but has gradually expanded the list of countries deemed safe for air travel.

Other countries with which Russia will resume flights after 9 April include Algeria, China, Lebanon, Peru and Pakistan, Russia's coronavirus task force said.

Mishustin also said Russia would be lifting restrictions on travel across the land border between Russia and China.

Russia has closed its airspace to airlines from 36 countries, including all 27 members of the European Union, in response to Ukraine-related sanctions targeting its aviation sector.

Punitive measures imposed by Western powers have also forced Western firms to terminate leasing contracts with Russian airlines for over 500 aircraft.

The sanctions also prevent Russian airlines from buying aircraft parts or maintenance services from Europe or the United States, adding to the pressure on the world's 11th largest aviation market from a ban on using North American and European airspace.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday introducing visa restrictions for citizens of countries that Moscow deems "unfriendly", some European Union countries as well as Norway, Switzerland, Denmark and Iceland.

Last month the Russian government approved a list of unfriendly countries including United States, Canada, Britain, EU states and Ukraine, among others.

(Reuters)

US to seek Russia's suspension from UN Human Rights Council

The United States plans to seek Russia's suspension from the UN Human Rights Council following apparent evidence of mass executions by Russian troops in Bucha, Ukraine, US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Monday.

"The images out of Bucha and devastation across Ukraine require us to now match our words with action," Greenfield said in a tweet.

President Zelensky visits Bucha

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday visited the town of Bucha outside the capital Kyiv where dozens of corpses, some with their hands bound, were discovered after Russian forces withdrew.

"Every day, when our fighters enter and retake territory, you see what's been happening," the Ukrainian leader told reporters in the town devastated by fighting, wearing a bullet-proof vest and accompanied by military personnel.

Ukrainian intelligence publishes list of Russian staff stationed in Bucha: report

Ukrainian media has said Ukraine's defence ministry's intelligence directorate published the names, ranks and passport details of Russians who served in the town of Bucha, where mass graves and hundreds of dead bodies have been found.

"All war criminals will be tried and prosecuted for crimes against the civilian population of Ukraine," The Kyiv Independent quoted the intelligence directorate as saying.

Ukrainian authorities in Bucha said they had been forced to dig communal graves to bury the dead accumulating in the streets, including some found with their hands bound.

The scale of the killings is still being pieced together, but Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said the bodies of 410 civilians had been recovered so far.

Russia said it "categorically" rejected accusations that its forces were involved in the deaths.

Russia imposes visa restrictions on citizens of 'unfriendly countries'

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday introducing visa restrictions for citizens of countries that Moscow deems "unfriendly" in response to sanctions over Ukraine.

The decree, which comes into force on Monday, suspends Russia's simplified visa issuance regime with some European Union countries as well as Norway, Switzerland, Denmark and Iceland.

It also ordered the Russian foreign ministry and other bodies to decide on introducing personal entry restrictions on "foreign citizens and stateless people who commit unfriendly actions against Russia, its citizens or its legal entities."

Last month the Russian government approved a list of unfriendly countries including United States, Canada, Britain, EU states and Ukraine, among others.

(Reuters)

Britain keen to send new types of military aid to Ukraine: PM spokesman

British prime minister Boris Johnson is keen to send new types of military aid to help Ukraine, Johnson's spokesman said on Monday, adding that Kyiv had asked for help in defending against Russian ships.

"Certainly the prime minister is keen to look beyond what we have already provided," the spokesman said, declining to provide specifics.

"We are aware of the requests from the Ukrainians for equipment to defend themselves from ships and we are looking into what we can do."

(Reuters)

UN rights chief 'horrified' by Bucha killings, evokes possible war crimes

The UN human rights chief voiced horror Monday at images of dead bodies in the Ukrainian town of Bucha following a Russian retreat and warned of possible war crimes.

"I am horrified by the images of civilians lying dead on the streets and in improvised graves in the town of Bucha in Ukraine," Michelle Bachelet said in a statement.

"Reports emerging from this and other areas raise serious and disturbing questions about possible war crimes, grave breaches of international humanitarian law and serious violations of international human rights law," she said.

Ukrainian authorities in Bucha said they had been forced to dig communal graves to bury the dead accumulating in the streets, including some found with their hands bound.

The scale of the killings is still being pieced together, but Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said the bodies of 410 civilians had been recovered so far.

The UN rights office said Sunday that its staff on the ground had not yet been able to verify the numbers or details reported by Ukrainian officials.

Village leader and family found buried in shallow grave outside Kyiv: government aide

The head of the village of Motyzhyn, her husband and son were killed and buried in a shallow grave, an advisor to the Ukrainian interior ministry said on Monday, showing their partially covered bodies in the sand.

A Reuters reporter saw the bodies in a forest near a farm, which had been all but destroyed, just outside the village of Motyzhyn. Nearby a burnt-out tractor could be seen and one of those buried in the sand had his head taped.

"There have been Russian occupiers here. They tortured and murdered the whole family of the village head," said advisor Anton Herashchenko, naming those killed as Olha Sukhenko, her husband Ihor Sukhenko and their son, Oleksandr.

"The occupiers suspected they were collaborating with our military, giving us locations of where to target our artillery. These scum tortured, slaughtered and killed the whole family. They will be responsible for this."

Reuters could not independently verify who killed the family.

Moscow has denied targeting civilians and has said similar reports of killings were "staged" to sully Russia's name.

(Reuters)

Japan slams 'exceptionally cruel' civilian deaths near Kyiv

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Monday condemned the "exceptionally cruel" violence against civilians near Kyiv in an apparent reference to killings in the town of Bucha.

"I am deeply shocked by news of the exceptionally cruel acts of violence against civilians near Kyiv. The murder of innocent civilians is a violation of international humanitarian law and is unacceptable and I strongly condemn these acts," he told reporters during a visit to Warsaw.

Hayashi met Monday with Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau to discuss the war in Ukraine.

He met yesterday with Ukrainian FM Dmytro Kuleba, handing the Kyiv official drawings by Japanese children that expressed solidarity with Ukraine.

"I will pass them on to Ukrainian soldiers," Kuleba said of the drawings.

(AFP, The New Arab)

Russia 'categorically' rejects accusations of Bucha killings

The Kremlin on Monday rejected accusations that Russian forces were responsible for killing civilians near Kyiv and suggested images of corpses were "fakes".

"We categorically reject all allegations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov claimed scenes in the town of Bucha were "staged" and spread on social media by Ukraine and the West, Russian state media reported.

Bucha killings: Zelensky calls Russian troops 'murderers, torturers, rapists'

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky described Russian troops as "murderers, torturers, rapists, looters" on Monday after Ukrainian authorities discovered bodies strewn across Bucha and elsewhere.

Zelensky said Russian troops "deserve only death after what they did", speaking in Ukrainian.

Switching to Russian he continued: "I want every mother of every Russian soldier to see the bodies of the killed people in Bucha, in Irpin, in Hostomel."

"I want all the leaders of the Russian Federation to see how their orders are being fulfilled."

Russia has denied it committed atrocities in Bucha and elsewhere.

Polish, Spanish premiers use 'genocide' label for Russian actions in Ukraine

The prime ministers of Poland and Spain have said Russian actions in Ukraine could be called genocide after Kyiv said it found mass graves and hundreds of dead people in the town of Bucha.

"We will do everything to ensure that those who have perpetrated these war crimes do not go unpunished, and therefore appear before the courts... to deal with these alleged cases of (crimes against) humanity, war crimes and why not say it too, genocide," Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday.

Polish premier Mateusz Morawiecki called for an international investigation into the actions of Russian soldiers.

"These bloody massacres committed by Russians, by Russian soldiers, deserve to be called what they are. This is genocide and it must be judged," Morawiecki told reporters. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky directly blamed Moscow for the "killings" of civilians in Bucha, a commuter town close to Kyiv.

Russia denied the accusations and said Kyiv had staged footage of the corpses.

Germany faces steep recession if Russian oil and gas halted: banks

Germany will face a steep recession if there is a stop to imports or delivery of Russian gas and oil, a top German bank lobby warned on Monday.

Europe's largest economy is heavily dependent upon Russia for energy, and nations' banks echoed concerns over possible energy disruption expressed by big names in industry in recent days.

Christian Sewing, the chief executive of Deutsche Bank, said in his role as president of Germany's BDB bank lobby that banks expected sharply slower growth this year of around 2% due to the war in Ukraine.

"The situation would be even worse if imports or supplies of Russian oil and natural gas were to be halted. A significant recession in Germany would then be virtually unavoidable," Sewing told journalists.

"The question of government aid measures for companies and sectors would then become even more urgent," he said.

Sewing once again called on the European Central Bank to act to fend off inflation.

He said the ECB should end its net asset purchases soon and should send a signal with interest rates.

Eight dead in Russian shelling in south Ukraine: Kyiv

Eight people were killed and 34 wounded in recent Russian attacks on two towns in southern Ukraine, prosecutors in Kyiv said Monday, as the West warns Moscow of more sanctions over civilian killings.

"As a result of enemy shelling, seven residents of Ochakiv were killed and another 20 were injured. In the city of Mykolaiv one person died and 14 people were wounded, among them the child," the Ukrainian Prosecutor General said in a statement referring to attacks on Sunday.

EU urgently discussing new Russia sanctions after Ukraine 'atrocities'

The EU said Monday it is urgently discussing a new round of sanctions on Russia as it condemned "atrocities" reported in Ukrainian towns that have been occupied by Moscow's troops.

The European Union "will advance, as a matter of urgency, work on further sanctions against Russia," foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on behalf of the bloc.

Talk of new sanctions on Russia weighs down the euro: Forex

The euro edged lower on Monday after Germany and France said a new round of sanctions targeting Russia were needed amid "very clear clues" of war crimes in Ukraine.

The euro, which has been under pressure due to worries about the economic damage from the war in Ukraine, slipped 0.15% versus the dollar to park at $1.1031 at 07:55 GMT, not too far from last month's almost two-year trough of $1.0806. Against sterling, it fell 0.24% to 84.05 pence, near a six-day low.

While Russia-Ukraine peace talks dragged on, reports of Russian atrocities led German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht to say the European Union should talk about ending Russian gas imports.

Russia supplies some 40% of Europe's gas needs.

"More sanctions of course also mean that the risk of energy disruptions in Europe rises. Because of our own sanctions or because Russia might get completely serious with its counter-sanctions rather than just changing the payment mode for natural gas," said Ulrich Leuchtmann, Commerzbank Head of FX.

"In my view the risk of significant euro weakness increases," he said.

(Reuters)

'Fill the silence with your music,' Zelensky tells Grammys

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky appeared in a video message at the Grammy Awards to ask for support in telling the story of Ukraine’s invasion by Russia.

During the message that aired on the show Sunday, he likened the invasion to a deadly silence threatening to extinguish the dreams and lives of the Ukrainian people, including children.

“Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story. Tell the truth about the war on your social networks, on TV, support us in any way you can any, but not silence. And then peace will come to all our cities,” Zelensky said.

The Recording Academy, with its partner Global Citizen, prior to the ceremony highlighted a social media campaign called “Stand Up For Ukraine” to raise money and support during the humanitarian crisis.

Following Zelensky’s message, John Legend performed his song “Free” with Ukrainian musicians Siuzanna Iglidan and Mika Newton, and poet Lyuba Yakimchuk, as images from the war were shown on screens behind them.

Germany the main roadblock for tougher Russian sanctions, Poland's PM says

Germany is the main roadblock to imposing tougher sanctions on Russia, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Monday during a news conference, adding that Hungary was not blocking them.

His comment comes after Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a national election on Sunday after facing criticism over an insufficiently tough stance on Russian aggression in Ukraine.

"We have to see that, regardless of how we approach Hungary, this is the fourth such win and we have to respect democratic elections... it's Germany that is the main roadblock on sanctions. Hungary is for the sanctions," Morawiecki said.

Some Western leaders have called for new sanctions on Russia after Ukrainian officials said they had discovered the bodies of hundreds of civilians killed by Russian forces in Bucha, a town near the capital Kyiv.

(Reuters, The New Arab)