Russia has been suspended from the UN Human Rights Council after a vote of the UN General Council was called following the horrific scenes of death reported in Bucha.
The US-led push came after harrowing reports of violations from Vladimir Putin’s bloody invasion of Ukraine, including in the northern town recently liberated from Russian soldiers who are accused of massacring hundreds.
Russia was kicked out after a vote this afternoon was approved with 93 votes in favour, 24 against and 59 abstentions from member countries.
The resolution expressed “grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine”.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, put forward the proposal earlier this week following horrifying accounts from Bucha of Russians torturing and murdering Ukrainian citizens.
She said during a visit to Romania: "Russia's participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce.
"It is wrong, which is why we believe it is time the UN General Assembly vote to remove them.
"My message to those 140 countries who have courageously stood together is: the images out of Bucha and devastation across Ukraine require us to now match our words with action."
Among those opposing Russia's suspension were China, Belarus and North Korea.
Earlier this week Russia made a veiled threat against the UN, suggesting that should it be suspended it would interpret countries voting it out as support of a US plan to "isolate" the nation.
Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, earlier described the attempt to exclude Russia from the council as "unbelievable".
He added: "This is again unprecedented and this will not facilitate or encourage or be helpful to what is happening between Russia and the Ukrainian peace talks."
An investigation into allegations of rights violations, including possible war crimes, in Ukraine since Russia began its invasion in February was opened by the council last month.
Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said he was "grateful" to UN members for suspending Russia from the council.
He wrote on Twitter: "War criminals have no place in UN bodies aimed at protecting human rights.
"Grateful to all member states which supported the relevant UNGA resolution and chose the right side of history."
Suspensions from the council are rare with the only other country suffering the fate was Libya in 2011 after violence against protesters by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.
It comes after Ukrainian officials vowed to hunt down the "butchers of Bucha" after hundreds of dead civilians were discovered.
Kyiv intelligence sources have named Lt Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov - who leads the 64th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade which occupied the region - as the commander in the area.
Growing evidence points to barbarism in Bucha with local women and children raped and shot and demands are growing for accountability over atrocities by Vladimir Putin's forces.
Zelensky has warned that worse evidence of mass killings of civilians by Moscow will emerge as the Russian president repositions his troops to the south-east.
The Ukrainian leader accused Moscow of committing "real genocide", as he appeared visibly emotional, flanked by his soldiers and wearing a bullet-proof vest.
