Stay updates: Russia invades Ukraine

UK International Secretary Liz Truss on Sunday accused Russian forces of committing “appalling acts” within the Ukrainian cities of Bucha and Irpin and demanded that they be investigated as war crimes.

“As Russian troops are compelled into retreat, we’re seeing rising proof of appalling acts by the invading forces in cities reminiscent of Irpin and Bucha,” Truss mentioned in an announcement on Sunday. 

The our bodies of at the very least 20 civilian males had been discovered strewn across a street within the city of Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, following the withdrawal of Russian forces from the realm in disturbing photos launched by AFP on Saturday. CNN has requested remark from the Russian Ministry of Protection concerning allegations of the execution of civilians within the Kyiv area and different elements of Ukraine.

Truss pressured that Russia shouldn’t be allowed to “cowl up their involvement in these atrocities by way of cynical disinformation,” including that the UK will play its half in guaranteeing this does not happen. 

Truss dedicated the UK’s full assist to “any investigations by the Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC) in its position as the first establishment with the mandate to research and prosecute conflict crimes.” On March 24, the UK provided the ICC an extra £1 million funding to help efforts to research Russian conflict crimes.

Final week, the Legal professional Normal for England and Wales Suella Braverman provided the help of prime UK lawyer Howard Morrison QC to the Ukrainian Prosecutor Normal.

She mentioned in an announcement that he would “present unbiased and knowledgeable authorized recommendation to the Ukrainian Prosecutor Normal Iryna Venediktova in relation to the investigation and prosecution of conflict crimes dedicated by Russia in Ukraine.”

Different European leaders have additionally referred to as for the Russian navy’s actions in Bucha to be investigated:

European Parliament chief Roberta Metsola, who grew to become the primary chief of a European Union establishment to go to Ukraine because the Russian invasion started when she paid a go to to Kyiv on Friday, mentioned the pictures from Bucha and different liberated areas in Ukraine present the “chilly actuality of Putin’s conflict crimes.”

In a tweet Sunday, Metsola mentioned she was “appalled” by the “atrocities of Russian military in Bucha & different liberated areas” and pressured that the world should be made “conscious of what’s taking place” in Ukraine and “more durable sanctions should be imposed” on Russia in retaliation. 

“The perpetrators & their commanders should be dropped at justice,” she concluded. 

German chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to as the Bucha photos “horrible and horrifying” and mentioned the perpetrators should be held accountable.

“We should relentlessly examine these crimes dedicated by the Russian navy. I demand that worldwide organizations such because the Worldwide Committee of the Purple Cross be given entry to those areas as a way to independently doc the atrocities. The perpetrators and those that commissioned them should be held persistently accountable,” Scholz mentioned.

German overseas minister Annalena Baerbock, in the meantime, mentioned the pictures popping out of the Ukrainian city of Bucha had been “insufferable.”

Baerbock tweeted on Sunday that “Putin’s unrestrained violence wipes out harmless households and is aware of no boundaries,” and referred to as for these answerable for “conflict crimes” to be held accountable.

“We are going to tighten the sanctions towards Russia, and can assist Ukraine much more with their protection,” she tweeted.

French President Emmanuel Macron referred to as the pictures of Bucha “insufferable.”

“The pictures that attain us from Bucha, a liberated metropolis close to Kyiv, are insufferable. Within the streets, lots of of civilians had been cowardly murdered. My compassion for the victims, my solidarity with the Ukrainians,” Macron mentioned in a tweet.

“The Russian authorities must reply for these crimes,” he added.

French International Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned that if what he referred to as “large abuses” in Bucha, Ukraine turn into conflict crimes, these accountable can be “tried and convicted.”

“The strongest attainable financial and worldwide stress should be maintained and bolstered on Russia to pressure the Russian authorities to place an finish to the conflict of aggression that they launched on February 24 towards Ukraine, the human value and humanitarian influence of which have gotten extra critical every single day,” Le Drian mentioned in an announcement Sunday afternoon.

CNN’s Nathan Hodge, James Frater, Stephanie Halasz and Niamh Kennedy contributed reporting to this put up.