State Department says 'atrocities' by Russian forces in Bucha are 'horrific' following evidence of mass killings
- The US State Department accused Russian forces of committing "atrocities" in Bucha.
- Hundreds of Ukrainians were found buried in mass graves in the Kyiv suburb over the weekend.
The US State Department accused Russian forces of committing "atrocities" following evidence of mass killings in Bucha, Ukraine, a suburb of Kyiv.
"We strongly condemn apparent atrocities by Kremlin forces in Bucha and across Ukraine," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late Sunday night. "We are pursuing accountability using every tool available, documenting and sharing information to hold accountable those responsible."
The US Embassy in Kyiv also tweeted that the "images coming out of Bucha and other areas abandoned by Putin's forces are horrific."
"The U.S. government is committed to pursuing accountability using every tool available," the embassy added. "We can not stand quiet, the world needs to know what happened, and we all must act."
Nearly 300 Ukrainians were found buried in mass graves in Bucha, which was under Russian occupation until President Vladimir Putin's forces began to reposition away from the Kyiv area in recent days.
Satellite images revealed partially excavated mass graves in the city, while Ukrainian officials and journalists also found corpses strewn throughout the streets — with evidence pointing to the torture and execution of civilians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of committing genocide in Ukraine, while other Western leaders expressed their shock at the weekend discoveries in Bucha.
"The discovery of more mass graves outside Kyiv is sickening," UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted on Monday. "The UK will not stand by whilst this indiscriminate and unforgivable slaughter takes place."
Meanwhile, the US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she would try to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.
Since Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, Ukrainian officials and the West have blasted the brutality of their military advancement.
The US government previously accused Russian forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine, calling out "indiscriminate attacks" on civilians and "other atrocities."
That same day, the International Court of Justice ordered Russia to immediately stop its assault on Ukraine as it investigated claims of genocide — though that ruling appears to have been largely symbolic.
And earlier in March, the top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he would investigate potential war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.