Ukrainian authorities are investigating possible war crimes committed by Russia after hundreds of civilian bodies, some of them tied and shot at close range were found in the towns around the capital Kyiv. The corpses were found after Russian troops had withdrawn to prepare attacks on other parts of Ukraine. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the images as a “punch in the stomach” while the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, called for an independent investigation into the killing of civilians. The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has accused members of the Russian army of war crimes in Ukraine and has said they must be brought to justice together with president Putin. The American official visited on Monday the refugee centre in Bucharest’s Gara de Nord train station and talked with the volunteers. She thanked all Romanians for their generosity towards the Ukrainian refugees. Putin and his supporters will feel the consequences of their actions, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in turn, adding that the western allies will decide on fresh sanctions in the upcoming days. Japan has announced it will also discuss with the allies about new sanctions on Russia.
