Ukraine, "horror" for the massacre of civilians in Bucha. Moscow denies: "Manufactured photos"

The images of the massacre of civilians in Bucha, a town in the north-west of the Ukrainian capital, are frightening, and even if Moscow rejects the accusations calling those photos "fake", the European institutions are asking for more sanctions against Russia, just as the chief of rescuers Serhii Kaplytchny reports that 57 bodies were found in a mass grave in Bucha. A dozen were visible, some only partially buried.

"Italy condemns these horrors with absolute firmness, and expresses full sympathy and solidarity with Ukraine and its citizens", declared Prime Minister Mario Draghi. "We need to clarify these crimes of the Russian military," says German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the "unsustainable" images. "An independent investigation is necessary and urgent", the words of the president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

While US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Russian troops are not a "real retreat", alarm sirens sounded again in Odessa with the authorities calling on the population to take shelter, in homes or shelters. Several Russian missiles hit the Black Sea port of Mykolaiv, according to Anton Gerashchenko, a collaborator of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, writes the Guardian.

In the last few hours, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave an interview to the Belarus-24 TV channel: “The sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics has been recognized by Russia. We have recognized their independence, we have recognized them as independent states. The special military operation was launched at the request of these two republics - he explained -: one of the main objectives is to save these republics and restore their statehood within the borders of 2014, within the borders enshrined in the Constitution of the Donetsk People's Republics. and Lugansk ".

On the Ukrainian front, however, President Volodymyr Zelensky returns to attack Orban: "The only one in Europe to still support Putin". With the Hungarian prime minister, he said, “I spoke frankly. This is the honesty he lacks: he may have lost it somewhere in his contacts with Moscow ”.

The hope of finding a meeting point between Kiev and Moscow lies not only in the negotiations but in that hypothetical meeting that has been talked about for days between Zelensky and Putin which, if it should take place, will "most likely" take place in Turkey Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the representatives of the two countries to offer hospitality to the summit, "in Ankara or Istanbul", confirmed Arakhamia.

The day by the hour:

The Pope: "Available to go"

"I'm available. They asked me if there is a trip to Ukraine, I said it's on the table. But I don't know if it can be done, if it is convenient to do, if it is for the best or I must do it". The Pope said this in the press conference on the papal flight.

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Zelensky activates mechanism to investigate war crimes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a speech to the nation, announced the creation of a "special mechanism" to investigate war crimes committed by Russia. The Russian leadership, he added, is responsible for the "deaths" and "torture" in Bucha.

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Zelensky: "The US does not give the security guarantees requested by Kiev"

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US does not agree to provide security guarantees in the form required by Ukraine. In an interview with CBS, Zelensky thanked the US and the Biden administration for everything they do for Ukraine: "However - he stressed - they have not given us any security guarantees. This must be understood".

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Berlin: "The EU evaluates the stop to the import of Russian gas after the horrors of Bucha"

The EU is expected to discuss a halt to Russian gas imports, after Ukrainians accused the Russians of committing atrocities on civilians in Bucha. German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said this in an interview with the public broadcaster Ard. "There has to be an answer. Such crimes must not go unanswered."

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Germany: "New sanctions in Moscow ready"

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced new sanctions against Russia after the "war crimes" committed in Bucha. He said this in a statement in Berlin. Scholz explained that the measures will be decided with the partners in the coming days.

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The UN evokes "war crimes"

The bodies discovered in Bucha "raise serious questions about possible war crimes". This was announced by the UN from Geneva.

For his part, the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, said he was "deeply shocked by the images of civilians killed in Bucha, Ukraine".

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Humanitarian corridors blocked

The humanitarian corridors for the arrival of food and evacuations in Mariupol and Kharkiv are blocked and the one in Odessa is in fits and starts, it works at 50%. "This is the alarm launched by the head of the Lviv crisis unit, Nataliya Smikh.

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"410 civilian bodies in the Kiev region"

The bodies of 410 civilians were found in the Kiev region recently left by the Russians. This was reported by Ukrainian Attorney General Iryna Venediktova during a program broadcast on several Ukrainian TV channels.

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The Ukrainian embassy to the Holy See: "A conscious massacre in Bucha"

"The Bucha massacre was done knowingly. The Russians are trying to destroy as many Ukrainians as possible. We have to stop them and drive them out." The Ukrainian embassy to the Holy See says so.

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Moscow: "We did not kill civilians in Bucha, fabricated photos"

Moscow has rejected accusations of killing civilians in Bucha, the northwestern town of the Ukrainian capital. The Russian defense ministry said so, according to Tass reports, branding the photos and videos of Bucha's dead as fakes produced by Kiev and the Western media. Moscow added that the town was bombed by the Ukrainians when it was still controlled by the Russians.

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Blinken and Stoltenberg: "Russians still dangerous"

US diplomacy chief Antony Blinken and NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said that Russian troops are not a "real withdrawal". "They still have the ability to wreak massive death and destruction, including places like Kiev, with aerial and missile bombardments," Blinken told NBC. "We must not be too optimistic," Stoltenberg told CNN because "we fear a potential increase in attacks, particularly in the south and east. It is not a real withdrawal, it is more an adaptation of their strategy."

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Zelensky: "Russia commits genocide"

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky accuses Russia of committing "genocide" in Ukraine to wipe out "the whole nation". "Yes, this is genocide. The elimination of the whole nation and the people, we are citizens of Ukraine. We have more than 100 nationalities. This is the destruction and extermination of all these nationalities," he said in an interview to the US channel CBS.

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57 other bodies found in Bucha

Fifty-seven other bodies were found in a mass grave in Bucha. The head of the rescuers Serhii Kaplytchny reports this. A dozen bodies were visible, some only partially buried. "Here, in this long tomb, 57 people are buried," said Kaplytchnyi, who is organizing the recovery of the bodies.

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Scholz: "Ascertaining Bucha's appalling crimes"

"We must clarify these crimes of the Russian military in no uncertain terms". German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says this, commenting on the "frightening" images of the massacre of civilians in Bucha: "International organizations such as the international committee of the Red Cross must have access to this area, to independently document these atrocities. The executioners and theirs. principals must be brought to justice ".

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New explosions in Belgorod

An explosion occurred today in the village of Tomarovka in the Belgorod region of Russia, 40 km from the Ukrainian border. This was announced by the head of the administration of the urban district of Yakovlevsky Oleg Medvedev, as reported by the Ria Novosti agency. "Everything is calm in Tomarovka, debris has fallen to the ground. The road has been cordoned off, the emergency services have been called. The debris has been inspected: it does not represent a danger, it has been taken away, no damage is reported," he said. added. On Friday, Moscow reported a Ukrainian air attack on an oil depot, also in Belgorod.

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Lithuania blocks the import of Russian gas, the first country in the EU

"From now on, Lithuania will not consume a single cubic centimeter of Russian toxic gas. Lithuania is the first EU country to refuse the import of gas from Russia". The premier of the Baltic country Ingrida Simonytė writes on Twitter.

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New alarm sirens in Odessa

In Odessa the alarm sirens sounded again at the end of the morning: the authorities invited the population to take shelter, in homes or shelters.

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Missiles on the port of Mykolaiv

Several Russian missiles hit the Black Sea port of Mykolaiv, according to Anton Gerashchenko, a collaborator of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, writes the Guardian.

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London: "Russians use rape as a weapon"

Melinda Simmons, the British ambassador to Ukraine, accused the Russian military of deliberately using rape as a military weapon. "Rape is a weapon of war. And although we do not yet know the extent of its use in Ukraine, it is already clear that it was part of the arsenal of the Russian Federation," said the diplomat, as reported by Ukrainian Pravda.

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Among the bodies in the mass graves in Bucha also a footballer

The body of Oleksandr Sukhenko, a former footballer of the Seagull Second League club, was found in a mass grave near Motyzhyn, in the Bucha district. This was reported by the Ukrainian agency UNIAN, underlining that he was killed along with his parents. His mother Olga Sukhenko was the head of Motyzhyn village and his father Igor Sukhenko was the president of the local football team Kolos.

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Poland, "willing to host US nuclear weapons if they ask"

Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslav Kaczynski said Warsaw is open to the deployment of US nuclear weapons on its territory if needed. Kaczynski said this in an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, quoted by the Ukrainian media. "If the Americans asked us to keep US nuclear weapons in Poland, we would be open to that. It would significantly strengthen deterrence on Moscow," Kaczynski said, clarifying that the deployment of American nuclear weapons in Poland has not yet been discussed, but "this may change soon".

Separatists, open corridor for foreigners from Mariupol

A spokesman for the Donetsk separatists, Eduard Basurin, confirmed that a temporary ceasefire has been in place since last midnight to allow the evacuation of "foreign citizens" from Mariupol. "A humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Berdyansk has been running since midnight on April 3. The Russian and Republic of Donetsk Armed Forces ensure strict compliance with a temporary ceasefire along this road. From Berdyansk, foreigners can be evacuated along any road: by land to the Crimea or to the territories controlled by Kiev, or by sea, "said Basurin quoted by Interfax.

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Buses ready to evacuate Mariupol again today

A humanitarian corridor is also open today to evacuate people from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia. This was stated by Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. "We continue to work on the evacuation of people along the humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia. Currently, there are 17 buses near Berdyansk, 10 for the evacuation of Mariupol from Berdyansk. If the buses do not pass through the city, we ask the people to go to the checkpoint at the entrance to the city. Seven buses will try to pass closer to Mariupol accompanied by the International Committee of the Red Cross, "Vereshchuk said.

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Kiev, 6 missile attacks in the Donbass repelled

"On the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts, in Donbass, Ukraine" repelled six enemy attacks, destroyed four tanks, six units of armored vehicles and seven units of enemy vehicles. "This was stated by the Ukrainian military leaders in a post on Facebook, reported by the BBC.

(Unioneonline)

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