A mum in Ukraine is seeking justice for her son after yet more claims of alleged war crimes by Russian troops.
81-year-old Taisia Herasymenko claims her son Roman, 57, was shot and killed in his hometown in Ukraine by invading Russian soldiers while he retired to recover a sim card from his phone they had smashed.
Shot in the back, he struggled away from the scene, but died mere hours later in his own home in Borodianka, in the now infamous Bucha district.
Ukrainian officials along with the International Criminal Court (ICC) are looking into war crimes since the invasion began. Over 14,000 separate alleged incidents were recorded in the country by the Ukrainian prosecutor's office as early as late May.
Now, the estimated tally stands at around 25,000.
Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Calllamard said: "It is vital that all those responsible, including up the chain of command, are brought to justice."
Devastated mum Tasia said to Reuters: "That's it. I've lost my child. They have to try them in court."
Her son was shot on March 17, less than a month into the war. In Bucha, authorities found mass graves and claimed them to be evidence of murder and torture.
Roman's body was found to be in a grave containing around 250 people on April 30.
Borodianka police chief Viacheslav Tsyliuryk said: "We can establish an army unit, but at the moment it is not possible to hold a specific individual responsible."
Russia continues to deny incidents of war crimes in Ukraine despite the mounting allegations and evidence against them.
The country insists they are only in Ukraine conducting a "special operation" to remove the threat of a Nazi government on their borders. A false claim that has no basis in reality, Putin's invasion is a war.
British attorney Nigel Povoas works as the lead prosecutor for the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group, based in the US.
He told Reuters that areas of Borodianka with apartment blocks were allegedly destroyed by Russian warplanes
"On the face of it, and at this stage it's very early, this would seem to be an obvious war crime for priority investigation."
Elsewhere the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Ukraine of torture, unlawful detentions and forced disappearances in the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Senior Ukraine researcher at Human Rights Watch Yulia Gorbunova said: "Russian forces have turned occupied areas of southern Ukraine into an abyss of fear and wild lawlessness.
"Torture, inhumane treatment, as well as arbitrary detention and unlawful confinement of civilians, are among the apparent war crimes we have documented, and Russian authorities need to end such abuses immediately and understand that they can, and will, be held accountable."
