Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has termed the killings of civilians in the town of Bucha outside the capital Kyiv as “genocide”.
“These are war crimes and it will be recognised by the world as genocide”, Zelensky said during a visit to Bucha on Monday.
Several bodies were discovered strewn throughout Bucha after it was reclaimed by Kyiv’s army from the Russian forces.
“You stand here today and see what happened. We know that thousands of people have been killed and tortured with extremities cut off, women raped, children killed,” he told reporters.
He added, “It is a genocide.”
The Russian troops have been accused of committing war crimes by Ukraine and Western as mass graves and executed civilians at Bucha were found across.
However, the Russian defence ministry has denied the allegations.
Horrific images of Bucha came into circulation where it was seen that some of the bodies lying in public appeared to have been bound by their hands and feet before being shot.