Russia-Ukraine War: Volodymyr Zelensky Calls Russian Attack as 'Genocide' as Pile of Corpses Appear in Bucha

New photographs of killed citizens in the streets of a suburb of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, emerged on Sunday, prompting Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to declare, "Indeed, this is genocide."

At least 20 civilians' dead bodies litter a single street in Bucha, a town near Kyiv, Ukraine. Others are sprawled on their backs, mouths open, in a heartbreaking tribute to the brutality of Russian rule. A French outlet obtained the horrifying photographs of the slaughter in Bucha on Saturday, the same day Ukraine declared the town free of Russian soldiers.

Russian Crimes Against Ukrainian Civilians Emerge

As Russian soldiers retreat from regions surrounding Kyiv following a failed attempt to encircle the capital, reports of alleged Russian crimes are surfacing. A piece of white fabric is knotted behind the back of one man's hands. Another guy sits alone along a grassy bank, tangled in a bicycle.

A third guy rests amid the charred wreckage of a burned-out automobile in the center of the road. Bucha has been in the midst of near-constant combat for the past five weeks. Officials and human rights organizations are now blaming the departing Russian military for the civilian killings.

Western politicians, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have called for war crimes probes and further penalties on Russia in response to the alleged atrocities. The Russian Ministry of Defense called the tape false, claiming that throughout Russia's takeover of Bucha, not a single local civilian was subjected to any violent activities.

Russian military soldiers transported and issued 452 tons of humanitarian assistance to residents in the villages of the Kyiv region, it stated in a statement. Allegations of the Russian military inflicting civilian fatalities have always been met with sweeping denials from the Russian government.

Russian authorities sought to cast doubt on widespread media accounts after the Russian air force struck a maternity facility on March 9, with one Russian ambassador accusing a bombing victim - a woman who fled the strike, injured and yet pregnant - of being a fake and not a real victim. The toll of the Russian invasion was apparent at a mass grave in Bucha. People cried as they attempted to locate the bodies of lost loved ones at a grave located on the grounds of the Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints on Sunday, according to a CNN.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, dressed in dark green, records a video speech to the Ukrainian people almost every day, sometimes seated at a desk, other times standing outside in the dead of night. He has recently been warning of impending challenges.

As the war enters its sixth week and peace discussions between Ukrainian and Russian diplomats continue, Zelensky is confronted with fresh problems. Despite military deaths, economic ruin, and widespread human suffering, he must maintain morale and the desire to fight. To guarantee that weapons continue to flow, he must maintain Western nations' trust in Ukraine's ability to win.

Ukraine Fails to Negotiate With Vladimir Putin

For months, Zelensky has been unsuccessful in meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin to address Moscow's numerous requests. The Ukrainian delegation's leader, David Arakhamia, said on Saturday that Kyiv is preparing for a possible meeting between Zelensky and Putin in Turkey.

Zelensky has been laying the foundation with Ukrainians to put a stop to the country's constitutionally mandated pursuit of NATO membership, pointing out that the alliance is unwilling to accept Kyiv. Instead, he has concentrated his efforts on gaining European Union membership, as per The Washington Post via MSN.

Children, women raped and set afire, and men tortured and killed by being shot in the head while their hands were tied behind their backs were among the dead recovered after Russian soldiers left Bucha, Ukraine reported. Local authorities were among the deceased.

"In the streets, hundreds of cowardly murdered civilians. ... The Russian authorities will have to answer for these crimes," he tweeted.

According to Vladyslav Atroshekno, the mayor of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, the city is currently around 70% devastated as a result of Russian force attacks, New York Post reported.

@YouTube