Volodymyr Zelensky has called Russian forces “butchers” and accused them of killing and torturing civilians in acts of “concentrated evil”.
In a video address posted online over the weekend, the Ukrainian president said Russian soldiers “are deprived of everything human. No soul. No heart”. And he added: “They killed deliberately and with pleasure.”
It comes as the Kremlin denied accusations that its troops murdered civilians in a Ukrainian town just outside of Kyiv, with a spokesperson insisting such allegations should be treated with “doubt”.
Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Moscow had reason to believe “video falsification” had been involved in the making of footage showing bodies on the streets of Bucha, but provided no evidence for these claims. He also urged international leaders not to rush to judgment.
Meanwhile, a host of Western leaders called for tougher sanctions to be placed on Russia in light of the alleged killings in Bucha. French president Emmanuel Macron told a radio programme on Monday it was “very clear” Russian forces were responsible for war crimes in Ukraine, while British PM Boris Johnson called the attacks on innocent people “despicable”.
