Dead in the backyards
Selenskyj fears cover-up of war crimes
04/05/2022, 03:55 am
The dead on the streets of Bucha are documented by numerous pictures taken by journalists. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is appealing to media representatives to also look around in other destroyed cities. He fears that Russian troops are now trying to cover up possible war crimes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stressed that he wants to fully investigate the crimes committed in Bucha and other Ukrainian cities. To this end, they are working with the EU and the International Criminal Court, among others, he said in a video message that was published on Tuesday night. Those responsible should be held accountable for the crimes. “The time will come when every Russian will learn the whole truth about which of them killed their fellow citizens. Who gave orders. Who turned a blind eye to the murders,” said Zelenskyy. He invited journalists from all over the world to look at the destroyed cities. “Let the world see what Russia has done!”
Alleged war crimes against the civilian population became known at the weekend after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kiev suburb of Bucha. The images of numerous corpses of residents on the streets cause international horror. Ukraine blames Russian troops, who until recently occupied the city, for the massacre. Moscow denies this and speaks of a “staged provocation”.
In the video message, Selenskyj reports on his visit to Irpin and Bucha. “The cities are simply destroyed.” The bodies had therefore already been recovered from most streets. But there are still dead people in the backyards and houses. Selenskyj feared that Russian troops were now trying to “cover up the traces of their crimes” – unlike in Bucha. It breaks his heart, Zelenskyj said, that he is only now “hearing statements from all the world’s leading politicians that should have been made a long time ago, when everything was already completely clear.”
The US and the EU are planning further sanctions
He again called for stronger sanctions against Russia. “But was it really necessary to wait to ward off doubt and indecision? Did hundreds of our people have to die in agony?”
The US government plans to announce new sanctions later this week. Coordination with allies and partner countries is currently underway, said US President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan. Possible sanctions “in connection with energy” would be discussed. However, he did not want to give details of the new punitive measures planned or under consideration. The EU states also want to launch a package of sanctions this week. However, Berlin and Vienna initially reject a gas embargo. On the fringes of a meeting of the euro countries in Luxembourg, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner said that Russian natural gas could not be replaced “in the short term”. Apparently, however, there is a possible import freeze for oil or coal on the table.