The war in Ukraine is entering its 40th day. The harsh images from the town of Bocha, located northwest of Kiev, continue to strike the world in astonishment. The bodies of men and women are lying in the streets next to the skeletons of burned cars. Authorities in Ukraine report that 410 civilian bodies have been found in towns in the Kyiv region from which Russian forces withdrew last weekend. Deputy Mayor Taras Sheparovsky said 50 of the 300 bodies were cases of unprovoked murders committed by Russian soldiers.
New Srebrenica. The streets of Bucha, Ukraine, are filled with arbitrarily executed local civilians. pic.twitter.com/zoMtkmfMtY
— Ukraine-Russia War (@ukrainefront) April 3, 2022
Lieberman intervenes: “There are mutual accusations here”
Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman spoke this morning (Monday) about the atrocities in Bocha, where about 30,000 people lived before the war. “We all condemn war crimes,” he said in general in an interview with the High Court, adding: “There are mutual accusations here – Ukraine blames Russia and Russia blames Ukraine. We need to understand, there is a bloody war there and we need to maintain Israel’s moral position and, on the other hand, our interests. “
The one who was furious at Lieberman’s neutral remarks was Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Kornichuk, who told journalist Barak Ravid: “I invite Avigdor Lieberman to come to Ukraine. So he knew what had happened. “
Defense Minister Bnei Gantz also referred this morning in “Here is Network B” to the pictures of the massacre from the small town: “This is a war crime. Unfortunately, civilians may be injured in a fighting, but they cannot be killed.” Last night, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said that “it is impossible to remain indifferent to the horrific images that were revealed in the city of Bocha near Kiev, after the Russian army left. A deliberate attack on the civilian population is a war crime and I strongly condemn it.”
NATO Secretary General: “Cruelty to civilians we have not seen in Europe for decades”
International condemnations are also being heard and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said an independent inquiry into the killings is “essential”. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinkan called for investigating war crimes and increasing sanctions on Russia. EU Council President Charles Michelle has promised further sanctions on Russia, while NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the images show “cruelty to citizens we have not seen in Europe for decades”.
In satellite images from Boche published by MAXAR, a mass grave excavated outside a church in the town can be seen. The first documentation was seen as early as March 10, when the mass grave was excavated about 13.7 meters long, and 57 bodies were reportedly found in it.
A mass grave has been found on church grounds in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha.
Satellite images posted Sunday show early signs of excavation at the site on March 10. An image taken on March 31 shows an approximately 13.7-meter-long trench, where reportedly 57 bodies were found. pic.twitter.com/7wCUdIZ7ra
— DW News (@dwnews) April 3, 2022
Zalansky to the world: “Support us in any way you can”
In a video speech on his Facebook account, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalansky called for an end to Russian “war crimes”. “The world has already seen many war crimes. At different times. On different continents. But it is time to do everything to make the war crimes of the Russian army the last expression of such evil on earth.” At tonight’s Grammy Awards ceremony, Zalansky called on viewers: “Support us in any way you can.”