Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russian forces of committing genocide, saying Ukrainian people were being “destroyed and exterminated.” His comments came in the wake of the reported devastation in Bucha, a town 23 miles northwest of Kyiv that has been liberated by Ukrainian forces.
The mayor of Bucha told Reuters that 300 residents had been killed while fighters from Chechnya controlled the area. Russia has denied allegations that its troops killed civilians in Bucha.
Ukraine’s top prosecutor said 410 bodies were found in towns recaptured from retreating Russian forces near Kyiv as part of an investigation into possible war crimes, according to reporting by Reuters.
Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said draft peace treaty talks will resume on Monday, underlining that the Kremlin’s position on Crimea and Donbas remains unchanged.