Audio captures Russian soldiers discussing killing and raping Ukrainians, with one saying, 'If there are civilians, slay them all'

• Ukrainian officials said they intercepted radio transmissions of Russian forces.
• The audio clips, published by CNN, include troops being instructed to kill civilians.

Ukrainian officials said they intercepted disturbing radio transmissions of Russian soldiers talking about killing and raping civilians.

The audio clips, which were obtained and published by CNN, include orders to kill civilians and the discussion of a 16-year-old being raped by Russian forces. It's unclear who exactly is speaking in the recordings, but Ukrainian officials said they are between Russian soldiers and their commanders.

"A car drove by, but I'm not sure if it was a car or a military vehicle. But there were two people coming out of the grove dressed as civilians," one soldier said over the radio, according to CNN's translation.

"Kill them all, for fuck sake," a second person responded.

The original soldier starts to protest, saying the village is composed of civilians, prompting the second person to respond: "What's wrong with you? If there are civilians, slay them all."

Ukraine has accused Russia of intentionally targeting civilians, a charge the Kremlin has denied. International leaders have called for Russia and its President Vladimir Putin to be investigated for charges of war crimes.

The calls grew louder after Russian forces pulled out of the areas around Kyiv, revealing liberated Ukrainian towns that allege Russian forces had committed atrocities against them, including the murder and rape of civilians. One woman from the village of Shevchenkove said Russian forces killed her husband and raped her repeatedly — accusations Ukrainian officials are investigating.

The intercepted audio published by CNN also included a Russian soldier in a tank regiment telling a woman over the radio that three members had raped a 16-year-old girl.

"Our tankers?" the woman asked.

After the soldier responded "yes," the woman said: "Fuck."

Some of the worst allegations have emerged from Bucha, a town near Kyiv where a mass grave was discovered near a church after Russian forces retreated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that many Ukrainians wonder "how many Buchas there are," adding that it's still unknown what has happened in some small towns.

"Some towns were destroyed completely," Zelenskyy said. "Some towns simply don't exist anymore – no more buildings, no more people. I do not know what we will find there."